Sourdough

I've learnt how to make sourdough bread! It was a course being held in Okehampton, a town on the northern side of Dartmoor, just under an hours drive through glorious countryside! 
To my surprise The Intense One was there ! She was supposed to be on a course herself but it was cancelled so she was able to co-present this one with her colleague who I met when we bought the new hens. The latter has a smallholding in Calstock and runs lots of courses. Two women who really know their stuff! 
The location was an Eco Hub in the grounds of the college. A lovely wooden structure with a huge covered patio, poly tunnel and beds. Sadly the college has noone to run the place so other organisartions use it. I was freaked out by the fact all the plants along a high windowsill were wilted through lack of water and whenever I had a chance I watered them! 
I was amazed at the whole, slow, long process of making pure sourdough with no yeast. From feeding your starter to making a Leaven from it and leaving that overnight to then  start the  stages to make it into a loaf! Exact temperatures and consistencies are required to ensure a good loaf at the end of it all! Plus no kneading! Just gentle folding! We got a starter to take home in a jar - some people have starters that are decades old!  All starters are a mix of microorganisms specific to where the starter is kept, the famous one being the San Francisco starter,  lactobacillus sanfranciscencis, which apparently has the most microorganisms from The Bay Area! 
As well as tasting the bread that was made we had crumpets made from some of the starter - delicious! Apparently the starter can also be used to make pancakes! If you want to see photos of the whole event they are here!
What pleased me was the number of specific things one needs to make sourdough - banettones to prove the bread in to make the distinctive patterns, thermometer,   a razor implement to score the top of the bread to prevent random tearing as the bread expands, and a lidded container to bake it in! Oh I do love a bit of shopping! 
Oh and Oscar had fun at doggy daycare with 2 spaniels!