Ann_T

Smithy, I'll answer the rye starter question first. I feed my mother with organic rye and bottled water. I've had this starter going since early 2019. I also spun off a "white" starter using some of the discard and maintained both of them. But since I started using this method I stopped feeding the white starter and I'm just feeding and maintaining the "mother" fed with rye. I'm going to keep feeding the Mother, occasionally, because I grew this one from scratch and I would feel bad killing her. I used "The Economic Strategy to Maintain Your Sourdough Starter" from the Culinary Exploration website. He has a video on his site that explains it better than I could. He apparently uses this "MINI STARTER" In a batch of dough that totals 750g, so I assume he using 95g of the scrapings and added around 375g to 400g of flour and depending on the hydration he is adding between 260 to 280g of water. Plus salt. This gives him one loaf. I weigh out 95g of the Mini biga and add 700 g of flour along with 490g of water for a 70%hydration and salt and that works for me. I have used it in an 800g batch, but for that batch I added a pinch of yeast for insurance. I weighed the scrapings the first time I did this and had 22g. Haven't bothered weighing again since. I just keep feeding the little jar with the scrapings again and once it has doubled or more it goes into another batch of dough or, I will put it in the fridge for one or two days before adding to the next batch of dough. In his video, he puts the jar with the scrapings into the fridge and feeds it after he pulls it out. I like my method because then I don't have to wait for it to double before using it. It is ready to go.

Sourdough Boules, made with one of the mini bigas. 95g of biga, 700g of flour, 70% hydration plus salt. Dough was in the fridge for 48 hours. Left on the counter overnight to warm up and finish rising. Baked this morning.

I've been using this method off and on since February. Started another mini "biga" for the scrapings in the bottom of the little jar in the morning Wednesday and made a batch of sourdough that night. Went into the fridge after the last stretch and fold and was taken out Friday night and left on the counter overnight. Baked six baguettes early Saturday morning. I love this method. Every time I use this biga, I leave probably less than a tablespoon of starter in the bottom of the jar and feed again with 55g of water and 55 g of flour. And with in about 6 hours the preferment has more than doubled. I put this one in the fridge yesterday morning and will take it out when I get home from work and make another batch of dough and feed the scrapings left in the jar again for the next batch.

Last night's dinner . Green Peppercorn steak with Parisienne potatoes, beans and carrots.

I made sourdough early yesterday morning that was ready for Matt to make pizza starting early afternoon. He made a 17" Bacon Cheeseburger deluxe pizza (vegetarian) and with the extra dough a 14" Margherita pizza.

Today's breakfast. Made Moe eggs and sausage for breakfast. Easy over free range eggs from a friends chickens with grilled bratwurst sausage from Glenwood Meats in Langford with toasted baguette. Baguettes baked early this morning. Dough had been in the fridge for just two days.

@liuzhou I would have loved one of those tarts this morning with my cappuccino. Yesterday's breakfast. Made Sesame honey garlic chicken and fried rice.

Thanks TicTac, I think you have to make it to 70 or 75 to get that letter. Moe and I have actually been together now for 52 years. Thanks @rotuts.

Celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary Monday. Started with one of my favourite simple appetizers. Tuna pate served on toasted pita rounds. Split, brushed with butter and baked until toasted and crisp. Main course was grilled butterflied leg of lamb. Greek style with all the sides including homemade Tzatziki sauce.

I made Moe an Italian sausage mushroom chive and cheddar frittata for breakfast this morning.

Baguettes baked last night were still warm so covered them with a tea towel overnight, and sliced this morning. Made Moe a pot of cream of mushroom soup this morning and he had some for breakfast with toasted baguette. The best reason to bake bread is for the toast.

No, just like to use some pics as a background. I had a dough in the fridge since August 14th. Six day cold fermentation. Decided to take it out and leave on the counter this morning and make pizza for dinner. Enough dough for a pizza and four baguettes. Italian Sausage and mushroom.

Last night's dinner. Cioppino with Halibut, Mussels and Prawns.

Over the last week or 10 days during the heat wave, I didn't do a lot of cooking in the evenings. But I did make Moe a number of dinners for breakfast. Chinese Chicken and Broccoli, Salisbury Steak, Grilled Pork chops with green beans and potato wedges all done on the grill, buttermilk fried chicken with double fried fries, Steak and eggs and this morning,I made a pot of Potato Leek soup with homemade chicken broth, that I put on to simmer over night. Baked a batch of mini baguettes Friday morning when it had cooled off enough to actually bake.

@blue_dolphin perfect toast on your breakfast sandwich. Moe's breakfast. I still had half the small Sterling Silver roast from a couple of days ago so I put it in the Breville PC this morning and turned it into a pot roast. Made Moe a couple of small sandwiches on homemade rolls.