Here's a recent experience with ACME's San Francisco Sourdough starter Ed
Bechtel sent me.

I took some sourdough goo to a friend's place near Orlando, and arrived
after 5 PM. By 8 PM I had mixed the goo with about 3/4 cup of flour and
enough water to make some loose dough for sponge. By 10 PM I didn't see
any sign of rising. At 12 PM it hadn't risen much, but so what, I made
bread anyway, about 6 cups 50-50 Gold Medal bread flour and King Arthur
Wheat Flour, the starter, a rounded tablespoon of salt, and 2+ cups water.
I kneaded a stiff but sticky dough for about 5 minutes, divided it in two
hefty lumps, and set each in a bowl lined with oiled plastic wrap, then
covered with plastic wrap.

Next morning at about 8, the dough had not risen noticeably. By 10 AM it
was nicely puffed up. I preheated the gas oven to 400 for about 15
minutes, sprinkled cornmeal on bread pans, plopped the bowls upside down on
them and removed the plastic wrap, which came off easily. The dough was so
slack that it immediately slumped into thick puddles.

I didn't spritz the oven or set boiling water in it. 30 minutes later I
removed the loaves, nicely browned. They had risen to about 2.5 inches,
rather resembling wide, rounded, upside-down pies. After half an hour for
cooling, I sliced off hunks, buttered them and handed them around to
breakfasters. The bread got a standing ovation. Yes, they were more squat
than I like. But the aroma was fabulous, the SF Sourdough tang was quite
evident, the crumb was large without having huge bubbles, the texture was
chewey, and the taste delicious.

I guess Dicky Adams just keeps on being right - all that fancy, fastidious
attention to every nuance and detail is not necessary to make good bread.
I didn't have a proper measuring cup, and I had been tired and just wanted
to slam the bread together the night before. I had ignored my recipe and
any tripling methods of making sponge, and sort of went "by guess and by
golly" (unfair to say because I _have_ made enough bread to guess pretty
well). The bread turned out to be good. If I'd had bread pans it would
have been even better, but the flat loaves satisfied the natives.

I am certain that the very first good bread ever baked was made almost by
accident.

Bob Hurt

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 12:02:21 GMT, Bob Hurt
> wrote:

>all that fancy, fastidious
>attention to every nuance and detail is not necessary to make good bread.

Hi Bob,

But recording those details certainly makes it more likely
that we can reproduce a bread that we like...<g>

All the best,
--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

"Bob Hurt" > wrote in message =
...

> [ ... ]

> I guess Dicky Adams just keeps on being right - all that fancy, =
fastidious=20
> attention to every nuance and detail is not necessary to make good =
bread. =20

It took several years before I could reproducibly make satisfactory
sourdough loaves. I feel that attention to detail is valuable.

> I didn't have a proper measuring cup, and I had been tired and just =
wanted=20
> to slam the bread together the night before. I had ignored my recipe =
and=20
> any tripling methods of making sponge, and sort of went "by guess and =
by=20
> golly" (unfair to say because I _have_ made enough bread to guess =
pretty=20
> well).

I do not deny dumb luck, and understand well that much sloth goes
unpunished.=20

> ... the flat loaves satisfied the natives.

Such posts are depressing.

--
Dicky

"Dick Adams" > wrote in
:

>
> Such posts are depressing.
>
> --
> Dicky
>

Well, then, you're gonna love this one.

I flew to Houston to visit family for Easter. I thought I'd treat them to
sourdough bread made from Carl's, but I didn't want to mess with kneading
it while there, and could not accurately guess how much time would expire
between leaving and arriving at my brother's house to bake.

So, I mixed up 3KG of dough, stuffed it in a plastic bag, dropped that into
my backpack, and headed for the plane.

After numerous rabbit hunts and doglegs with my brother (he had to stop on
the way to make a sales pitch, then stop at the office to check in), I
pried the huge blob out of my backpack, chopped it into half a dozen
chunks, set them on an cookie sheets and baked them.

The natives liked those too.

I seem to flit from unpunished sloth to unpunished sloth, with happy
natives abounding.

Ahh, the life of a cavalier baker!

Bob

"Gonorio Dineri" > wrote in message =
.. .

> ... mixed up 3KG of dough, stuffed it in a plastic bag, dropped that =
into=20
> my backpack ... flew to Houston ...

Next time strap it around your waist and see what they do?

> pried the huge blob out of my backpack, chopped it into half a dozen=20
> chunks, set them on an cookie sheets and baked them ... The natives=20
> liked those too.

Probably thought they were being offered some new kind of tortilla.

> I seem to flit from unpunished sloth to unpunished sloth, with happy=20
> natives abounding.

Unpunished perhaps, but not unpublished! Benefactor of natives! Bet=20
they'd really like your stuff in Detroit.

> [ ... ]

> Bob

Holy shit, is that Bob? Schlotsky-Bun Bob with a continental address?

--
Dicky

>> ... mixed up 3KG of dough, stuffed it in a plastic bag, dropped that
>> into my backpack ... flew to Houston ...

>> I seem to flit from unpunished sloth to unpunished sloth, with happy
>> natives abounding.
>
From my time in Houston (Texas, I take it) I recall that it is very easy
to satisfy the natives, culinarily that is. Just add a lot of spice (and
watch them guns).

JB