Quarantine Sourdough Baking

Baking with sourdough while being confined to the house is really a natural combination. A key ingredient for a great sourdough bread -- aside from flour, water, starter, and salt -- is time and if there is one thing we all have while we are working from home is an abundance of time.

And an urge to raid the kitchen.

I've been baking a lot and trying to find people to whom I can give loaves and doing my best to persuade them that no viruses have survived my 500-degree-oven.

Allegheny College has a crack Crisis Management Team that meets daily to respond to statewide mandates and to care for 2500 students and employees. This five pound loaf (below) went to them but did not contain nearly as much gratitude as they deserve.

I made my first sourdough challah. It looks great, but was not a total success. I am going to have to practice more with enriched doughs, that is, doughs with fats (vegetable oil in this case) and eggs. This dough rested in the fridge for 24 hours and I did not leave enough time for it to warm up and proof before baking. The result: spots of gumminess.

It looks like I am going to be here awhile with lots of time to bake. Let me know if I can bring you a loaf.

 I have 50 pounds of flour arriving tomorrow.