I’ve probably said it before, but Mr Rigg is the baker in our family. I think mainly because I just told him he was going to be, and he’s got on with it, and does it quite well now. It’s one of those skills that improves each time you do it, so it doesn’t make sense for me to attempt a handmade loaf of bread (I’m sure I could manage the ‘bung the ingredients in the bread machine’ version).
For his birthday, I bought Mr Rigg a kilner jar of sourdough started from Hobbs House Bakery. With me attempting to avoid yeast as much as possible, I really wanted to encourage him to try a sourdough, and we are now onto our third loaf.
The first couple we had teething issues with – Mr Rigg and I both like to try something once and be perfect at it instantly, or we usually give up. They seem to cook too quickly on the outside but not on the middle, they were still too undercooked in the centre, and just general niggles like that.
I’m pleased to say Mr Rigg has persevered, and last week’s loaf was a great improvement. As you can see in the pictures above and below, it rose well in the oven and had a good texture inside. Right in the middle we discovered it was still a little sticky and could have baked for a little longer – but we are learning, and improving, and most importantly not giving up.
The only downside is that I’m finding it difficult to cut out wheat with all this delicious bread floating around the kitchen, something I’m attempting to do as part of my pregnancy. I’m determined that my final month of being pregnant will be wheat and gluten free, so perhaps we won’t be baking in August.
Eat the Earth 
5 comments
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July 2, 2013 at 8:28 am
Gemma
I found exactly the same problem with my sour dough. I now follow the hfw river cottage everyday recipe of 15 mins at 250 then 30 mins at 220 which seems to work. Which recipe are you following?
I love how sourdough changes in flavour every time. At the moment my starter is very sour.
July 2, 2013 at 11:53 am
Charlie
Hi Gemma, we are just following the recipe that came with the Hobbs House Bakery sourdough starter. I must say our bread is quite sour at the moment, which I wonder might be because we are leaving it quite long between making. I know from making kefir that the longer you leave it to ferment the sourer it gets, so I imagine it might be the same with the sourdough starter. Perhaps I’ll have to get Mr Rigg making it more often!
July 2, 2013 at 6:43 pm
Alex
It looks so delicious and really well risen, whenever I attempt to bake bread it’s like a brick! I avoid wheat and gluten at present, so haven’t eaten bread in ages, I hope at some stage to be able to tolerate occasional sourdough bread as a treat!
July 2, 2013 at 7:12 pm
Gemma
I only bake once weekly so you could well be right Charlie.
Il try chucking half away and feed it to see if the flavour changes again
July 2, 2013 at 9:10 pm
andreamynard
I followed the Baker Brother’s description of how to get a sourdough starter going a year or so ago and was so pleased when I managed it. The bread made from it was yummy and sourdough pancakes good too. Then I went away, neglected it for too long and it didn’t survive. Now that wonderful looking bread is inspiring me to get another one going.