Field Tests

The process of caring for and eventually baking sourdough is very intense and educational, but the whole point of baking bread is to eat and enjoy it. My first NZ Sourdough may not have had much oven spring, but it made up for it in several ways. I noticed that the sourness was not nearly as tangy after 24 hours, which I've read can be the case with any breads containing whole wheat. The flour kind of settles in to its environment, and when the grains are comfortable, so is the eater.

I quickly want to note that I chose to store this loaf in an unclosed zip top bag. I probably would have used a paper bag instead, but we did not have any large enough on hand. This seemed to be good enough for the duration of the loaf, providing the option of sealing the bag if staleness becomes an issue. Normally I stow bread in the fridge in a sealed bag, but I don't like the constant need to toast, microwave, or wait for bread that isn't cold. Sometimes I just want a regular temperature snack, you know?


And now onto some applications of my new friend. I think that this bread is actually good enough to just munch on solo, but in chorus the flavor harmonizes so well with a lot of other foods. We tried it with eggs, butter & jam, and a fresh herb and tomato bruschetta (ideal with a tangy sourdough). Pictures:

Eggs love sourdough (so do strawberries!)


We ate the bruschetta with some fresh pasta in pesto with seared chicken, a perfect dinner

Fresh basil and oregano courtesy of our back porch