Sourdough, part two: Bread & following your instincts.

Fresh warm sourdough bread and sweet creamy butter, a warm house and a cup of tea...life is good!

I finally found time to make my homemade sourdough the other day, it was well worth it. It came out pretty good for my first attempt; soft slightly chewy with a crispy crust. Although I did have to divert from the recipe a little, and in doing so used up all of poor Hugh (my starter, evidently you have to name them). You see the recipe I followed called for much too little liquid...but I trusted in it, and followed it anyway. Some times you have to follow your instinct and do what you feel is right, even in baking.
So I was trying to knead life into the dry dough as it was turning into sawdust before me, and decided that pursuit was futile.

I then proceeded to follow my instincts and made the dough again this time adding more liquid, and the rest of my first starter, Hugh. This is more like it I thought, a nice gluttonous pillow of dough formed before me, soft yet elastic. I kneaded it to life and after leting it rise for a couple of hours baked it into the beautiful loaf above. I may have to stop buying my bread and become somewhat of a baker.