This is a fast and easy way to use some of your sourdough starter. I have made the flatbreads per this recipe most often, but used a cold proof for one batch. I recommend the immediate approach, but both work. I think Ziti would argue that flatbreads are better with yeast (and he is probably right), but this is a fun way to use up sourdough starter.
I am testing this to see if this image looks better than my earlier blog. ElPanadero mentioned that my photos are faded and yellow (I have been resizing them, as I have struggled to post multiple photos), so I just want to see if this photo looks better than the one I posted on my earlier blog, which has the recipe and other photos. Phyllis
It's my husband's birthday, so I wanted to make something special and different. Inspired by so many bakers on this site, I tried something new in making this bread, improvising a bit on the ingredients. I felt a need to incorporate some fresh herbs from the garden, so I decided to alter the Tartine recipe I typically use to add a few ingredients that may be tasty together.
I had the most wonderful experience in San Francisco this weekend, as we were visiting the city with my husband's family from England. It was their first time there, and they loved it. There was a Farmer's Market on the Embarcadero near Ferry Building #23 this past weekend, and I had the pleasure of meeting Edmund Weber (below) of Della Fattoria of Petaluma. He had a wonderful selection of breads, as you can see (sorry it's a bit dark).
I just got home last night from the UK (still really jet-lagged!) where I keep a supply of sourdough starter that I carried over last year in checked baggage from our home in California. I revived it fairly easily after it had been left in the fridge for several months.
I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow TFL baker during my trip to the UK from California. I had noticed last year on TFL that Peter (blueboy2419) baked some impressive breads with beer and mentioned a beer festival that he volunteers at every year in Liverpool, my husband’s home town. More than a year ago, I found out that we would be in town for the beer festival, as we were going to be in the UK for my niece’s wedding. Peter gave me information on the festival, and I bought tickets.
As a number of you know, I have experimented with freezing dough and baking it later. I have had some recent mixed results, and I thought I would share it to see if there are some things to learn from my experience. Recently, I made a wonderful Tartine sourdough with olives, herbes de provence and lemon zest, recipe link below. I froze the second loaf to bake later, and I baked it in the last few days. It was terrible--a flat, gummy disk.
Our friends, Tim and Barb, are visiting us in California from the Midwest, and I asked them what kind of bread they wanted me to make. Tim asked for sourdough with olive oil and rosemary. As rosemary is plentiful (and drought-resistant), we have lots of it growing everywhere in our backyard, so this was not a difficult request.
I modified one of my sourdough recipes to make the bread, adding olive oil and rosemary (recipe below).
Ready for the overnight proof.
I have been baking some of my favorite recipes lately, mostly for family and friends. While I was in the Midwest, I made a classic sourdough and Tartine sourdough with olives, lemon zest and herbes de provence (2). (my updated recipe links are below)
I was a bit concerned when I got home that my California sourdough starter was tired and flat, so I worked for a few days to get it back to normal. It seems to be OK now, as I baked some bread for us today and for friends on Saturday.
