Philosophizing About Food With Francine: Students Tackle the Sourdough Fermentation Method

by Francine Black   

May I introduce you to my crock of sourdough starter? She sits dormant in the refrigerator for weeks at a time. And when I take her out, I feed her a bit and she begins to bubble and grow, telling me she’s ready for a baking project.

In the last several years, I’ve baked all my country loaves using the sourdough fermentation method for a leavening agent. Today, I decided to experiment and so have used my sourdough starter to make bagels.

I opted for plain old bagels this time, without my usual cinnamon and raisins or topping. The results are really great. They’re light as a feather with a chewy golden crust and a tender crumb.

As we all know, a slow rise fermented dough that has captured wild yeasts is better for us nutritionally and much easier to digest. I suspect a bagel making class is in the planning for sometime in the future.

Indeed, the last two Saturdays, over a dozen lovely ladies and gents visited my kitchen to learn how to make a sourdough loaf. They prepared their dough here in a flurry of flour, starter, and fun. I absolutely enjoyed watching their industrious hands tackle a high hydration dough, which is not an easy feat the first time around.

Once their dough was prepared, they took it home for a slow, cool resting fermentation and final baking in their ovens. I understand that more than a few of the students stopped at the store on the way home to buy a cast iron Dutch oven in which to bake their bread.

The photos posted here are just a few of the results of their hard work. I am so proud of them. Didn’t they just do a fantastic job?

Here’s another beautiful loaf of sourdough made by Linda Slackway who attended last Saturday’s baking class. I continue to get the most beautiful photos from class members who are successfully baking delicious breads at home now and I’m absolutely thrilled!

This is Robin Wolf’s 3rd loaf. It’s a gorgeous oval since her Dutch oven is that shape. Congratulations, Robin. You get a solid A+!

High in the mountains above Bally, where the dense groves of treetops seem to touch the sky, is Francine Black, Boyertown’s own version of chef Julia Child. Her daily activities reflect the things she most values: family and friends, music, and lovingly prepared food.

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