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Let's repeat the King Arthur Flour Classic Sourdough Bread and really nail that down before I try anything more complicated. The recipe makes two loaves but let's just make one over and over again with an eye towards practicing a baking schedule to fit everything easily into my day. My prediction is that the levain will rise 75% in three hours.

I've taught a basic 1-2-3 Sourdough Bread class at work and for friends a number of times and people generally ask what can they add to the dough in order of getting a variety bread from the same basic recipe.  I give them a few examples and off they go.  I would like to give them a bit more direction than that, like a longer list and approximate amounts (in Baker’s percent).  So, my target is Sourdough recipes like 1-2-3, Tartine (Chad Robertson) and FWSY (Ken Forkisk) and wondering what you would add and how much?

Figs x 2. I blended 120g dried figs after soaking in hot water and added it to my dough. After kneading I folded in 250g of chopped figs and let it rise overnight. A teaspoon each of coriander and caraway seeds goes really well with the figs. A great tasting loaf.

Sometimes I get nerdy with theme breads when trying to come up with new ideas, and yesterday was the final NBA game for the local boys (Warriors). I tried to follow the theme to the end. 

We just got back from travel, so my two starters (San and Fran) came out of the fridge on Saturday evening after 2 weeks of hibernation. They got only one good feeding after warming up, doubled overnight, and were added to this bread Sunday morning. We were in Pennsylvania, which is near Cleveland and just returned to the Bay area like the Warriors.

Even after nearly 7 years of making sourdough breads, I can still be surprised.

Today is Father's Day so I prepared meals for my dad. Normally, one will make some burgers for dad or prepare a carnivore feast but you know us, we love sweets and dad do not like to eat much meat anymore so I prepared some sweet and rich treats for him.

I made some fried pies. We really love fried pies especially peach and mango but I prepared a special one this time.

 It finally feels like summer here on Long Island, so that means it's time to fire up the Barbecue and throw on some hamburgers and hot dogs.  I whipped up a version of a yeasted bun I've made many times and changed it over to use a SD starter and made a few other flour swaps as well.

These ended up great and were nice and tasty and soft but not too soft to hold up to a grilled burger and hot dog.

then you make your crust and top it and bake and eat...pretty simple...when you have all the right "stuff". I am so lucky that I have my Mom and Grandmom's iron skillets...nothing cooks like old iron. This one is 12" across the top and 3" deep. It is paper thin in the middle...Momma called it her chicken fryer. Her Mom used to put bread to soak on a back burner with warm milk and butter and sugar. This was during the depression .

Ian's post on Durum Rye SD got me going and I had a great time with my version. I used whey for all of the liquid. We make yogurt and had a batch not set  up so I had a qt of whey frozen. My starter is a rye so went with that. I followed all the other particulars except timing. I always retard shaped loaves and let them rise for 1 -2 hrs before I place them in the fridge and then bake directly from the fridge in 500 degree pots. Worked like a charm. These loaves are SO fragrant and the crumb is delightfully tender.

It wasn’t long ago that Yippee sent me an Oriental Pullman Pan.  I immediately put it to good use making a fine rye bread here 100% WG Rye & Wheat Sprouted YW/SD w/ Walnuts, Prunes, Cranberries & Sunflower that Michael Wilson liked.  Michael got to taste it when he visited LA a couple of weeks ago.  It is nice to have a fellow Fresh Lofian get to try some your bread -  especially one like that one.