Sourdough Flexibility

One of the features of making sourdough bread that always pleases me is how many varieties of bread can be concocted beginning with just flour, water, salt, and a wild sourdough starter.  Here are three breads that came from a recent weekend of baking.

To me this compact loaf was more than just a crispy-crusted whole wheat baguette.  It was the first set of slashes I ever succeeded in getting to perform like they had been cut by a professional.  Look closely at the cuts and you will see what bakers call "ears."  The dough curled up as the bread sprang in the heat of the oven and browned along their edges.

This loaf was baked in a lidded, cast-iron, Dutch Oven.  The lid holds in steam emanating from the baking loaf.  Steam keeps the surface moist so it can expand evenly.  Once the bread has nearly cooked through, the lid is removed, the steam escapes, and the surface turns this lovely reddish-brown.

 We were also making a Middle Eastern meal over the weekend and I thought it would be appropriate to bake some sourdough flat breads.  My son Isaac, a brilliant chef in his own right, prepared the topping: extra virgin olive oil, fresh zhatar (wild thyme with sesame seeds and salt), ground sumac, and flakes of red pepper.