Motherhood

A few short weeks ago I inherited a life form. For me, motherhood is something I thought I wouldn't tackle for another decade or so. After all, I just moved to a new city and started grad school, so my social and financial worlds are kind of in a development phase. But sometimes, you just have to be willing to adapt. And what can I say? I tend to be pretty adaptable. 

And I really like free things. So when a neighbor was giving away free sourdough starter, I decided to take the opportunity and run with it (actually I walked at a slower pace than usual to avoid spillage). This actually did seem like fate though, because I had been considering trying my hand at sourdough since, let's face it, it's basically free bread if you get good at it (I've learned this is actually not that true because flour and other materials can be expensive, but it's definitely cheaper than buying sourdough loaves) and I have been itching to get a pet but know I'm not quite ready for that level of commitment.

Anyway, all the sudden I found myself with the difficult task of keeping this thing alive - yes, sourdough is known to be extremely resilient, with some starters supposedly being over a century old, but this is me we're talking about. It was almost like I adopted a child before I was really ready to be a mom*. But at least I would get to eat the fruits of my labor! 

So I realized that I had just about none of the materials the internet suggested you have to make sourdough, and almost none of the patience required to sift through all the tips and tricks for how to make the best loaf. I was starting to get worried that I wouldn't be able to provide a stable environment and a decent upbringing for this new object of my affection. People aren't lying when they say being a mom is hard! Thankfully, my good friend Tamara is a sourdough expert and gave me some invaluable advice. I gave up listening to the internet, and decided to just use things I already owned. Who really needs a banneton anyway?! Or a kitchen scale, tea towel, bread knife, dutch oven, scoring blade, bread flour, sea salt, glass jar, bread sling, dough cutter, or whisk? Ok so I did have to purchase a few things, because even I am not that resourceful...and I happened to find an amazing deal on a dutch oven the day I was planning on baking. If that's not fate, I don't know what is. But really, I only ended up buying a dutch oven, bread flour, glass jar, and parchment paper. I fed my child to keep it well-nourished, let it chill for a bit, and then lovingly stretched, folded, shaped (like mother like daughter, my child is also adaptable), and finally baked my baby. 

And I must say, I was impressed with my results. I even made some blueberry muffins using some of the discard (it's ok if you don't know what that means, your time will come)! Here is some photographic evidence:

So folks, I've come a long way. A little while ago I couldn't even eat my rice and beans without a fruit fly chomping at the bit. Now, I'm crafting artisan bread! Who would've thought!? Don't worry, I'll keep you updated on my sourdough journey, maybe in the form of food if you're lucky.

*I am not claiming to know what this is like. I'm sure children get much louder than bread.