Look at that action! I was so excited to see some real change in texture in Day 4 of this sourdough starter experiment! I’ve definitely had a change in attitude today- I feel so much more confident this evening after seeing what has happened over the last 12 hours. The photo above is just before my first feed of Day 4. Below, have a look at what it looked like just 12 short hours later:
So here we are folks- Day 3 of the incredible Sourdough Starter Challenge (as I’ve been referring to it today). I’m feeling a bit unsure. I was so confident that it was working yesterday, especially when I saw some growth last night, but this morning it was flat and a bit sad looking (photo above). Then, the worst thing happened: I realized I should have started two a day feedings this morning. Total palm hitting the forehead moment. I’m hoping that it may just delay my starter a bit- as there were still plenty of bubbles and growth last night. Oh well, we must persevere because homemade sourdough is at stake! Here is what you should do on Day 3:
So here we are in Day 2 of my sourdough starter experiment. I kept checking on my starter yesterday a bit like it was a sleeping baby- making sure that it was warm enough, covered properly and cosy in it’s little spot by the window. I think my husband is humoring me because he’s hoping there will an abundance of sourdough in the near future! Well anyway, I was so overexcited to see some bubbles forming (photo above) in the first 24 hours because it is said that sometimes there can sometimes be no action in that time. I happily fed my starter and still have my fingers crossed that this is going to work! Here is what happened on Day 2:
The day has come. I promised myself that this year I would attempt my first sourdough starter. Here is some background info about me as a bread baker: I like to eat bread. I’ve made some pizza dough and experimented with foccacia a few times, but never have taken that leap into full blown bread baking. I’ve always fantasized myself as someone who bakes their own bread on a weekly basis, but have never quite had the confidence, or rather the time to embark on what can seem like such a daunting task. However, the idea that I could make freshly baked sourdough right in my own kitchen was way too good to pass up. I guess if I keep saying that I’ll try it next weekend it will never happen. So go on- take the leap with me and we can celebrate the triumphs and cry about the disasters that I imagine will begin shortly into my sourdough bread baking experiment. Here’s how I started.
This month I’ve started doing something that I’ve always wanted to try, but never been able to keep up with: weekly meal planning. Not only is it a way to save money, it makes the evenings when we come back from work a breeze. I am the worst when it comes to deciding what to have for dinner when I’m tired, stressed, have work or chores to do and the list goes on. I find that when I’ve planned it out in advance, I can’t change my mind and don’t need to run to the store for any extra ingredients or impulse buys (CHOCOLATE!). We have even planned our lunches that we take with us to work, snacks and breakfasts. At first, it seemed like a lot of effort sitting down planning, writing grocery lists and doing a big shop all on the weekend but after doing it for a few weeks it really has turned out to be worth it. I’ve even managed to fit in some time for baking! Hence the most delicious cookies I’ve baked in a long time.
I first read about these cookies on one of my favorite food-related sites : Food 52. It was a recipe called World Peace Cookies by Dorie Greenspan and Pierre Hermé. The title is what drew me in to this recipe- any cookie that claims to be able to do the one thing that many Pageant girls have spent countless hours wishing for sounds like one heck of a delicious cookie to me. As if I wasn’t already sold, these delights were described in the post as, “Shortbread cookie meets salted chocolate chip, and world peace feels within reach.” Talk about my idea of heaven.
These cookies are really intensely flavored. If you like dark chocolate you will thank me for these! They are crumbly in texture with chunks of rich dark chocolate and flecks of sea salt to give it that salty sweet combination that I love so much. Be warned: DO NOT over bake these cookies. When you take them out after 12 minutes they will be soft and not look like they’re done, but trust me- when they cool they will firm up and give that lovely sandy texture with every bite.
Bonus: these cookies smell amazing when they’re baking in the oven.
It’s hard to believe that it has been two years since I started this blog. It’s even more difficult to look back at the early days with posts like this, or like this. The photos left a lot to be desired to say the least. But I started to learn- mostly by reading lots of other blogs- a bit about the all important lighting when taking photos, amongst other things. But the most important thing that I have learnt is that it all comes down to the food. If the food tastes amazing and looks good, I’ve completed what I set out to do in the first place.
If you browse through my posts, you won’t see lots of props or “styling” if you will. My focus is, and always will be the food. That’s why when I started to think about what kind of cake I wanted to bake for this celebration of the last two years of blood, sweat and tears- I knew I wanted something decadent, rich, utterly irresistible, but most importantly: delicious.
This cake is all of those things and more. At it’s core are two layers of a deep, dark, incredibly moist chocolate cake that appeals to adults just as much as the kiddos. Using some strong, hot coffee in the cake batter is a trick I’ve always used for my brownies and this cake is almost chewy and gooey like the best brownies are. The thick, fluffy frosting has a tangy twist thanks to the cream cheese and greek yogurt that I’ve used instead of a pure butter frosting. Then, finally you get a tiny hit of salt- which I absolutely adore when eating dark chocolate. I could’ve added another teaspoon of salt to make it even more pronounced, but I know I wanted to decorate with some flakes of sea salt, which satisfied that salty-sweet kick I love. The frosting is a dream to ice a cake with and turns almost truffle-like when set. Be warned, I had a smidge of frosting left after I decorated the cake- you’re a better person than I if you can resist! It almost tastes better straight off the spatula!
Try out this cake for your next birthday party- I promise you won’t be disappointed.
I can’t believe another year has come and gone. Over the last few years I think I’ve become one of those ‘anti-NYE’ people, favoring a few glasses of wine at home with the hubby rather than a night out at a packed bar or club. It’s almost become our tradition to dress up, have a nice dinner at home and watch the fireworks over the London skyline with Champagne at midnight. I usually don’t think about New Year’s Resolutions, for the fact that I usually can’t keep them longer than a week. This year I thought maybe, just maybe, if I wrote a few things down and published them I would be more likely to keep up with all the things I want for this aspect of my life. In no particular order:
1. Meatless Mondays. This is one I’ve wanted to do for a few years now. I used to be a vegetarian (vegan for a few months) in college, and sometimes I miss it! While I eat quite a few meatless meals during the week, I would like to be more conscious of how much meat we eat during the week. It’s official: Meatless Mondays 2014.
2. Make, use and maintain a sourdough starter. I love sourdough bread. If you’re from California you understand that it is a love that is more than any person should have for bread. But if you’ve ever had it toasted with salted butter- you know exactly what I’m talking about! I want to start baking my own bread much more often. I think that a starter that needs love and care will be a big incentive- along with the smell of freshly baked sourdough once a week!
3. Read more cookbooks. When I say that, I mean read more of the ones that I already have. My husband, Alex will be the first one to tell you that I have a lot of cookbooks. While for some it is a passion for shoes or bags, I have an undying love for cookbooks. I just love them! And like anyone with a passion for some kind of material object will soon see, they soon start accumulate. They have kind of taken over the house! This resolution is to go back to basics and re-read the cookbooks I already own. The perfect way to get new recipe ideas!
4. Blog more often. I love this blog. Last year, life got in the way a bit and I haven’t been able to dedicate as much time as I’s have liked to it. This year, I want to blog more often. Hopefully you want to see this as well!
5. Try one new thing (food, recipe, technique etc) a week. The most ambiguous and probably most difficult to keep resolution. Hopefully you’ll read about all the new things I’m trying in my kitchen!
Happy New Year everyone! What are your resolutions? I’d love to hear them!
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