When two is company, and three’s a crowd!
As the rest of the country is being pulled into lockdown, step by step, (eg maximum of two people in a ‘crowd’) I am feeling more and more like where we are, at home in isolation, is exactly the right place to be.
While we had to go straight into 14 days of required isolation when we returned home from overseas, it appears most others are heading that way anyway. And to be truthful, it’s actually not that bad.
It’s boring, yes. It’s frustrating, yes. It’s isolating, and a little bit lonely, and most definitely not ideal. But the one thing it is, is safe. Both for us and for others we love, and others we don’t even know.
Yesterday the authorities confirmed that a person flying home from Sydney to Wagga on Thursday, March 18, has coronavirus. There were two flights to Wagga that day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The infected passenger flew in the morning, we flew in the afternoon. If that had been us, then being at home, isolated from everyone, would have prevented us transmitting COVID-19 to others. It wasn’t us, and it appears we don’t have the virus, but it could have been.
Today has been VERY busy at work. Hence all I have had time to do is sit at my ‘office desk’; go to meetings; answer and send emails; meet with my team/s (via MS TEAMS) and care for my baby…the sourdough starter.
It has become a living being that I need to tend and care for. A live creature that I need to nurture, feed, massage, keep warm and shape into something that will bring happiness to the world’s future. I think I did alright with my real kids – but this sourdough thing is a whole new challenge to my parenting skills!
Yesterday, it appeared after eight days that the starter was ready to use. I removed all but 125g, and this time rather than ‘feeding’ it 125g of flour and 125g of water and then throwing the remainder away, I used the reminder to start two items:
Click on the links for the full recipe, because I don’t have time to type it out (even though I did make some alterations).
I am up to the final ‘fold’ on the loaf and the buns are on their second prove. By morning we should have fresh hot cross buns for breakfast, hopefully!
Pictures to date
THE STARTER:
1. The Sourdough starter has doubled within eight hours and is now ready to use.
THE HOT CROSS BUNS:
2. Making a ‘paste’ by cooking flour and water, then cooling.
3. Placing the cooled paste into the mixing bowl, then adding water, oil, sugar, mixed spice and some sourdough starter. Then adding the flour and salt to the dough and kneading well, adding the dried fruit towards the end. (currants and raisins)
5. After resting overnight, plus more in the sunshine today (covered) it had doubled in size!
6. ‘Knocking back’ the dough, and then rolling into balls, ready to prove again, overnight.
THE SOURDOUGH LOAF:
7. Making the ‘Levian’ by combining 50g of my precious starter with 75g of flour and 80g of warm water and then covering with plastic wrap and standing at room temperature overnight (12 hours).
8. Adding 500g of water and 700g flour, plus salt to the fermented Levian, then resting in a warm place.
9. Stretching and folding the dough every 1/2 an hour.(6 times in total)
10. I’m just about to mould the loaf and I really need to concentrate – so more news and pictures in tomorrow’s post. (This blog is a bit like an annoying TV serial isn’t it – you are left hanging and just never seem to get to the end 😉 )
P.S. I know I said I would share my chocolate cake recipe, but apart from being pushed for time ONLY ONE PERSON HAS SHARED THEIR RECIPE WITH ME! (Thanks Stace). So I’ll leave it till tomorrow, but below is a pic of the cake Dave has now devoured!
Stay safe peeps – and AT HOME, if at all possible, please 🙂
lots of love,
Sara xx