The moment you’ve all been waiting for!!!

I kinda feel like a jerk for leaving everyone hanging last week, when I didn’t make a post about Hermione. Luckily the wait is over! Today is the day I introduce Hermione to the world, and I couldn’t be more excited!! So, without further adieu……..meet Hermione!

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Isn’t she beautiful?! I’m honestly in love. Hermione could not be more different than Gerri.

1. LOOK AT THAT GROWTH! Gerri was never this bubbly!
2. Hermione smells sweet and sour whereas Gerri was sourer like alcohol.
3. Hermione is thinner than Gerri was. When I watch videos online about sourdough starters, they are always pourable. That’s how Hermione is. Gerri could never.
4. Super fast growth! When I’m feeding at a 1:1:1 ratio, Hermione is doubling in four hours. I never had that happen with Gerri.

How did I make Hermione? I’m so glad you asked! This time I followed Gigi’s series for making a starter. (Are you sick of me talking about Gigi yet? I should really be getting a kickback from her…) I LOVED the process of making this starter for one main reason, NO MEASURING GRAMS! That’s right, goodbye precision, hello dump and go. I really appreciated the relaxed approach Gigi took to making the starter, and honestly it works!

So, while Gerri was a badass spice girl, she cannot hang as a sourdough starter. It’s not surprising that Hermione is carrying the sourdough team over here, it’s basically a central element of her character. (If this reference makes zero sense, maybe this will help)

To really give Hermione a true test, I used the same recipe from Gigi. I didn’t want to change too many things right off the hop, so then I would know if Gerri was truly the problem. Everything went flawlessly. The dough rose well during the bulk proof, it rose in the fridge overnight, and it rose in the oven!

The finished loaf isn’t quite as well risen as I would like (always strive to do better!), but it’s leaps and bounds above what I was getting before!

 

If you want to listen to me talk about the experience this week, check out this video…..

As far as learning goes this week, I want to take a paragraph to talk about the vastness of the information available and the tendency to compare. Sometimes too much of a good thing is a bad thing, and that’s how I feel about learning about sourdough online right now. There are SO MANY sources for information, opinions, and tips, online. It’s honestly overwhelming because very few say the exact same thing. One source says rye flour creates the best starters. Well, my dude, we will have to agree to disagree. Then there are all the pictures and videos. Yes, I love a visual to help me learn, but when EVERYONE (yes, I’m being dramatic) makes it seem so easy and you just can’t seem to make it work. It’s disheartening! I think this part of the process highlights the benefit of learning some skills in person, from someone who has done the thing. Just like when you cook with your grandma, and she doesn’t measure anything and goes off of feel. Drives you crazy but at least you can ask questions and understand the process! I’ll just step down from my soapbox now…

Question!

Next week I want to try an inclusion loaf. Go for broke, am I right? Do I want to do cheese, or try a chocolate loaf? I feel like cheese would be easier but you just add cheese, but I’m also a sucker for punishment, so maybe the harder chocolate loaf would be interesting? Lemme know!!