The Baking of Bread

2 and 1/4 tsp yeast

Starter doubled in size since last night.
Instructions to keep new starter going:
1/2 cup bottled water, (can't remember if I added a cup of flour too)
stir, cover, leave out for 1 hours.

Recipe:

1 cup "fed" sourdough starter
I put this in the mixing bowl right away

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
microwaved for 1 minute and cooled until
could not feel on wrist

2 teaspoons instant yeast
since my yeast was in the fridge
my church friend told me to use 2 and 1/4 tsp and have
set out for 15 minutes.
Stir the yeast,
it should get a bit puffy on top.

To this water, that was heated in a

pyrex measuring cup

I added one at a time:

1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

5 Cups flour*

I added one cup of flour at a time,

stirring vigerously.

Once I got to cup 4 it was very thick and

sticking to my wooden spoon.

*My breadbaking friend told me to eyeball it,

when it got thick and was no longer sticky,

then no more flour is needed.

I used around 4 1/2 cups of flour.

Then I covered it with the towel and let it rise for 90 minutes.

Hung recipe to make more counter space.
The above recipe is found here.

Cookbook Journal ready to be written in with
phone instructions from
one of my new friends at my new church.

Letting the dough rise;
I was suprised at how much it rose -
almost touching the towel in my 5.5 Quart bowl!

Two pages of instructions :)
Most of these instructions are written above
in the notes of what I did, written in italics.

All the while,
a candle was lit for a dear friend's birthday. 

Risen dough.
I forgot to grease the pan first
but it all came out without
trouble!
It was fun as it was so light...
deflates quickly...
*
I kneaded it a bit in the bowl,

palm hand down
but then found it needed more room than the bowl had.
I then moved it to my already floured cutting board
and added more flour until
it was not sticky
but smooth and soft to feel.

Here is the kneaded bread before it had time to rise again.
Cover and allow for 60 minutes rising time.

The bread rising.

My friend recommended
30 minutes for preheating the oven to 425 degrees.
So I timed the hour of rising in two half hours
so I would have the oven pre-heated for 30 minutes.
I was also advised to have a
pyrex cassrole dish under the baking sheet
in the oven
with boiling water in it
so I did this as it adds humidity.

I slashed the bread after it rose for 60 minutes
and got it wet.
Then I realized that I forgot the boiling water,
so it sat a minute while the kettle boiled water.
Not sure if that impacted the bread when baking, FYI.

My Ukranian mother had taught me to brush the
bread with oil after it is just
out of the oven for a more
golden crust
so I did this too.

I let the bread cool on racks
and now one is in the freezer...
*
Tonight the plan is to enjoy some fresh bread with soup!
*
For which I am very thankful.
I am sure Mr. Husband will be too.