Meet Maggie. The newest member of our family. We have Maude, Poppy and Gurtrude, our chickens and now Maggie. Named after Maggie Beer before we even recieved her, it was a pleasant surprise to find out that one of Celia’s chickens had once been named Maggie.
This is how Maggie arrived to us, after reading the instructions twice, I felt like I was diving into hot water. This was something new and fairly intimidating. Let me tell you that Celia (Fig Jam and Lime Cordial) was a wonderful help via twitter.
After feeding Maggie up 3 times throughout the day she was finally ready to bake.
I followed Celia’s basic sourdough tutorial to the letter until I misread 25g of oil for 250g, so I scooped out the oil and continued on my merry way. 
At this point I stopped taking photos, and have failed to at this point every time I have baked sourdough since. Celia’s instructions are wonderfully clear, so I suggest you use those.
Since my first loaf I have had some different outcomes using the same recipe. Maybe the extra oil made all the difference, maybe the weather made the difference, maybe I wasn’t playing music during the kneading of the various loaves? Who knows. What I do know is I love baking bread, I’m so rewarded when eating a slice of toast in the morning, so happy to see those golden loaves of goodness come out of the oven.
I have since tried baking a fruit loaf, with approval from many family members, and have plans to bake another ASAP.
Have you ever baked bread? What about sourdough?
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Just fabulous, Clare! I’m so glad Maggie is making you happy! 🙂
Maggie is making me so happy, and about to make others that happy too. What a wonderful gift!
Yay! Maggie, your brother Kevin says hi. I totally agree with you. Baking bread is one of the most satisfying things ever. Beautiful loaves!
Hi Kevin! Baking the loaves are such a joy, and so much less scary than I expected!
I am slowly adding grains back in to my diet one by one with big gaps in between but will probably never eat wheat again. I love sour dough and will miss it heaps, especially while following your adventures with the recipe. It must be so rewarding.
It is very rewarding. It’s a shame that you wont eat it again, but you need to look after your health first!
Good for you – and in this heat too. I keep meaning to start making my own bread but we have a great bakery about 200 metres from our front door and and and….. One day…..
It’s tough living near an amazing bakery. We do too, but I don’t have to walk the 200m when I’m baking it in my kitchen. Let me know if you’d like some starter.
You’re a braver baker than I, Clare! I’m terrified of breads which needs starters!
It’s the least scary of breads I think. It’s so easy, so satisfying, and SOOOOO delicious.
Yeay! how wonderful. the sour dough is still growing spreading and becoming loaves everywhere. well done
It’s so delicious! The sour dough will continue to spread around the world!
I’m so jealous of your chooks 🙂 Your sour dough looks awesome! I tried to grow my own cultures but sadly forgot to feed it and it died… 🙁
Our chooks are lovely! I love going out there and having a chat!
Love baking my own bread and total sourdough convert here too. I made my starter following instructions off youtube but reading the GNOWFGLINS book on sourdough has taught me so much more and made it a much easier journey for Bertha, my starter, and I. Bertha is a cold loving starter and 100% biodynamic rye and keeping her in the fridge means we are not total slaves to each other. She’s a big girl (about 4 cups worth usually) and I give her a huge feed when she gets under 2 cups so I make up my no knead dough every 3-4 days and bake every 2 or as needed. It’s an easy relationship we have, Bertha and I. 🙂
Sourdough is the best! We have so much at the moment that I’m not too cook anything for another 2 weeks I think!