Kjknits's blog

I joined TFL in 2007, where I learned to make my own sourdough starter, and made my very first loaves. The community here was amazing then (and still is!). I still pop in here quite a lot to research flavors and techniques, new ideas. I stopped and started sourdough multiple times over the years, but picked it back up in the summer of 2023 and have been all in ever since. I started selling my first bread in February of 2024. I’ve learned so much along the way, and continue stretching and learning as I go, week by week.

I love how artisan bread gives you the opportunity to do something creative with your scoring. I think Santa is my favorite—he got the full glamour shot treatment! 🎅🏻 

I’ve been enjoying baking with my King Arthur sourdough starter so much this fall! I’ve settled on a recipe that I love for my basic bread, the Taste of Artisan no-knead sourdough. It’s a 70% hydration recipe that works very well as an overnight room temp proof. I start the dough around 4-5pm, do several stretch and folds every 45 minutes until around 9pm, then let it sit on the counter until morning. Divide, shape, and place bannetons into the fridge for at least 2 hours.

I was watching random suggested videos on YouTube recently, and Lisa from Farmhouse on Boone popped up making sourdough puff pastry (recipe here).

Posting my freshly-milled, 100% whole wheat sandwich bread recipe…this one is an adaptation of my everyday sandwich bread that I posted here way back in 2007. Unfortunately the photos in that post are broken, but it was a white bread with wheat bran added in for interest and nutrition. Once I got my KoMo Fidibus XL in 2014, I switched over to 100% whole wheat bread. My family never even minded, because the bread still came out soft, fluffy, and mild-tasting due to using white whole wheat.

These were pretty tasty. I used my KAB starter, KAB bread flour, and pretzel salt from Boise Salt Co. The recipe is from Little Spoon Farm. We have an all-time fave soft pretzel recipe from an Amish cookbook I bought at a craft fair, but that uses regular yeast and I wanted to use my new starter. These are equally good as our fave commercial yeast pretzels…maybe a little chewier? 

I am LOVING my new sourdough starter from KAB (KAF for the old schoolers).

It’s been a long, long time since I’ve been active on TFL, but I recently got a new starter and had to come look up my old English muffin recipe. I didn’t want to fool with starting my own starter this time, so I bought the one that King Arthur sells. It arrived Wednesday and I got to work feeding it. Yesterday it doubled in eight hours, so I decided to use the discard for these, since the recipe also uses baking soda and I figured there would be enough lift even from that. Not disappointed…they’re as fluffy and big and beautiful as they ever were!

My family has recently embarked on a "less-is more" natural style of living. We're trying to do more things ourselves instead of relying on commercial offerings. We're also trying to get rid of the plastic in our house, which is easier said than done! But baking things I usually buy ready-made at the store, I can do.