I’ve been going round and round thinking of how to end the year here on my blog, and I realised that there is only one possible way: with sourdough!
2015 is the year that I was introduced to sourdough bread and the year has been punctuated with many and various loaves, high and lows, and always learning.
I baked my first sourdough loaf on 20th January, having been sent some sourdough starter and comprehensive instructions by the lovely Selma. I’d never even tried sourdough bread, but had been totally drawn to the idea of baking it after seeing Selma’s loaves and hearing her enthusiasm for the process and outcome, she held my hand all the way through that first exploration, and for the following months as I got to grips with this new way of baking bread. And I’ve loved it!! I’m so grateful to Selma, and Celia, for bringing this into my world, it’s been great fun.
I’ve recently been experimenting with different mixes of flours: kamut flour, spelt flour, rye flour, plus adding different seeds. I’ve made a couple of loaves recently including roasted pumpkin seeds which have been really good!
Today I began the last day of the year by heating the oven at 6.30am and baking a dough that’s been proving in a banneton in the fridge for the last week. It’s a mix of kamut flour, spelt flour and strong white flour..
I baked it in my enamel roaster, as originally guided by Selma and Celia, and it came out perfectly..
What better way to end the year? And to remember Selma..the first half of this year is full of wonderful memories of lovely Selma, and everything we shared; the second half of the year is full things I wish I could have continued to share with her and of missing her 😦
I’ve loved learning to bake sourdough and watching my son enjoy eating it is a real gift, and so I hope you understand why I chose to end the year with my bread..it’s a gift that Selma gave me that will last for many years to come.
I also wanted to have something special to share with this week’s amazing 100th Fiesta Friday blog party. 100!!! And it’s been going for two years! Wow! Such an a amazing achievement. The #100 party has been going on over the last week and is being hosted not only by its wonderful creator Angie but also Ginger, Suzanne, Judi and Mollie. Please pop over and see what everyone is bringing to the celebration.
For now, I’d like to wish you a Happy New Year, with best wishes for a wonderful 2016, and so many thanks for all of your support this year xx
Your sourdough loaves are fantastic Elaine! Warm wishes for a wonderful & blessed 2016 & happy FF xx
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Thank you so much, and to you xx
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Beautiful loaf of bread Elaine – I knew you would be thinking “sourdough” and “Selma” just like I did to finish off 2015. The walnut lame is so pretty against your loaf (love mine too, wonder if Selma every bought one?) – perfect recipe to share with Fiesta Friday #100. Happy New Year 🙂
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Thank you so much xx actually, I bought one as a gift for Selma and gave it to her a couple of months before she died. Hopefully she got a chance to use it x
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And Happy New Year to you too, see you on the other side xx
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Whoa, Elaine! These loaves look beyond amazing! It looks like your talent and perseverance have paid off! I can just smell the flavours of your bread wafting through my kitchen right now. Angie is going to send me some starter and I hope to give this a try this year as well. Maybe we can compare notes? All the best for a happy and healthy 2016! 😀
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Absolutely! Definitely let me know how you get on, I’m sure you will be flying with sourdough baking in no time at all! xx
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Looks like the perfect sourdough…happy new year☺
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Thank you so much, and to you x
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Beautiful loaves!
Happy New Year! 🙂
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Thank you so much x
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Wow and wow! An amazing line-up of your sourdough creations Elaine. You did Selma proud. I remember her asking me if I had wanted a starter, but I declined at the time. I still think of her so often even though we never did meet in the flesh so to speak. I wonder how Jake is doing. Anyway, I won’t get too sentimental, but cheers to you for the New Year. I first heard of sourdough bread on one of my visits to San Francisco about 25 or so years ago. I wonder where it originated.
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I did see on a cookery programme once that sourdough is the most ancient form of yeasted bread. I think they discovered wild yeast in Egypt or somewhere in that region many years, if not centuries, ago, and it from then that the first risen bread was baked. Before that, the whole world made and ate flatbread.
I think of Selma often too, there’s things I often wish I could tell her. But no, let’s not get morbid, let’s welcome a new year and look forward to more sharing next year xx
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I’m so impressed! The loaves look lovely and airy and such a beautiful crust too. I can imagine how tasty they are. Baking bread is on my list of culinary adventures to dive into sometime, although I’m not sure when. I can admit to being a bit intimidated by the prospect! And what a lovely and touching tribute to Selma. I think it’s perfect. A very Happy New Year to you and yours and I can’t wait to see what you have cooking up in 2016! 🙂 xo
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Thank you so much, Anita, I’m so glad you like my post and my tribute 🙂 x
If you are going to give bread making a try, be warned: you’ll fall in love!! 😉
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Wow, I can imagine! My sister is the bread baker in our family and she is hooked! She baked us a lovely loaf for Christmas and there was something so wholesome and special about it. Hopefully one day soon I’ll dive into the dough too, ha ha. 😉
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That sounds wonderful! There’s something about baking your own bread…using your hands, watching something you’ve created grow and become something wonderful…it’s good for the soul x
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I totally agree and it’s such a special thing to share with the people you care about. I got my sister the Oh She Glows recipe book for her birthday, which was just a couple of days ago, and I’m hoping there are some good bread recipes in there. Do you know that book? It’s all veggie and vegan recipes. There’s a great website too. Hope you’re having a great New Year’s! 🙂
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I know the website..you’ll have to do a review of the book for us 🙂
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Fantastic way to end the year, Elaine! I wish you and your boys lots of good cheer!
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Thank you sweetheart, and to you and the family xx
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Happy New Year Elaine, it seems your bread gets better and better with each loaf you make. This looks absolutely perfect, everything about it is beautiful. There is nothing like a loaf of homemade bread Best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year for you and your wonderful family, Look forward to seeing your blog posts and photo’s, it brightens my day,
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Thank you so much Suzanne, your continued support is so lovely.
All the best for a wonderful new year xx
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Happy new year .. Ur sour dough bread r awrsomr
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Thank you so much, and to you xx
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Cannot quite think of a better way to wrap up the year! Beautiful loaves, great slash technique… perfect!
Looking forward to many more beauties coming out of your oven!
HAPPY NEW YEAR, from snowy Colorado….
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Thank you so much, I’m so glad I decided to go with sourdough 😉
I hope the skiing is going well 🙂 🙂 happy new year xx
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Only fell three times yesterday, one of them a bit on the spectacular end of the spectrum, but I am ready for more!
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Woohoo! Go for it!!! (I hope you’re not hurt?)
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Oh, I’m so glad you chose to highlight the sourdough! Just a couple of days ago I had the sudden thought, ooh, it’s school holidays, I should have a crack at a sourdough starter. 🙂 So you’ve given me a little push to get that one going while I’m whiling away the hours at home with injuries and it’s too hot to do anything outside anyway. 🙂
Happy New Year!
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Yay! I’m glad to have provided some inspiration 🙂 I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Have you made sourdough before?
Happy New Year xx
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Not yet. 🙂
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Okay…in which case, you should be aware that the weather could affect it. Trying to bake sourdough when it’s hot is quite a challenge..it’s worth you reading up on it whilst you’re sitting around..;)
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Ah. Good to know. Hm. Figures that just when I have the right time, I have the wrong weather.
What about San Francisco sourdough? According to my book “The climate of San Francisco, with its warmth and humidity, is particularly conducive to sourdough breads”. I can definitely do warm and kind of humid. 🙂
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I’m not saying don’t do it, I’m just saying it’s worth reading about how weather and heat and humidity can affect baking sourdough. You just need to be aware of what tweaks to make 🙂
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Will do. Thanks! 🙂
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Celia is also a great support when baking sourdough 🙂
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I attempted to make a sourdough loaf one day last summer (THE hottest day the UK has ever had in history!!!!) and it over proved and then flopped. Basically the heat had made it prove faster and I didn’t know that that would happen or that it was worth slightly amending the mix..I do now!
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What a perfect way to bid farewell to 2015.
Loved all your loaves :).
Happy 2016
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Thank you sweetie x x
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One gorgeous bread after another! 🙂 What would 2016 be a year of? Happy New Year 2016!
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Thank you so much xx and to you xx
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Your bread is gorgeous! You’re my sourdough queen. I can’t wait to see what you do with sourdough in 2016.
Happy New Year!
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Thank you so much, that’s very kind!
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I absolutely adore your array of breads – what an amazing year 2015 has been for – and with! – you! I am looking forward to your next exploits and can’t wit what you’re going to get stuck in next. Hopefully we’ll manage to meet up for real sometime soon!
Have a wonderful 2016!
Ginger xx
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Thank you so much! I’m so proud of my bread, silly isn’t it?!
Let’s hope 2016 is our year – it will be nice to finally meet you 🙂
Happy New Year to you all xx
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I know how you feel, though – I think it;s the long wait and the vagaries of the proofing that make it such an exciting adventure! And create that sense of achievement when it turns out well.
Beats skydiving 😉
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I completely agree! I’ve just seen your giant pretzel…you seriously know how to bake!!! Your work far supersedes my efforts!!
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Not really – I’m just more desperate for bread ;-). You are so creative, always trying out new things and pushing boundaries, I really admire that! I mean, kamut?!
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I read or see these things so decide to give them a go! What’s the worst that can happen??
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Wow Elaine, that loaf of bread makes my bread baking heart go pitter patter. That baby is a thing of beauty. I got a new banneton basket for Christmas and only hope that I can create something like this. I just bought some spelt yesterday and can’t wait to try it.
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Thank you so much 🙂 and yay! I hope you have fun with your new tools 🙂
Just be aware of how spelt behaves 🙂
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I will have to read up on it. I thought it behaved a lot like wheat? I have a bread challenge to use a flour that I’ve never used before.
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It’s lovely flour, the flavour and aroma is fab and it makes great bread. The key is that the dough can become very sloppy – when you first put the dough together it can be quite tight, then it loosens up a lot. It proves quickly though so you can bake it sooner than other flours.
I hope this is helpful – probably best to google it 🙂
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Thanks Elaine. I just read not to handle it to much too and that it can be baked in a bread pan or free form. I look forward to another bread adventure! Enjoy your day and thanks for your tips!
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My pleasure – I’m sure you’ll make something amazing!
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Thanks Elaine. xoxo
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What a great way to finish off the year, with some beautifully risen sourdoughs and lovely memories. Happy New Year!
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Thank you so much 🙂
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What beautiful looking loaves Elaine! Nice way to end the end the year. May 2016 bring many more breads from your kitchen!
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Thank you so much, Gerard 🙂 happy new year!
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Some lovely looking loaves there Elaine! Is that lame from Northwest Sourdough/Primal kitchen? It is beautiful. Cheers, Maree.
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Thank you, Maree 🙂 yes, the lame is from Primal Kitchen. Aunt Juju has one and I saw it on her blog and just had to order one!
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Perfect way to end the year!! I hope 2016 brings you and your beautiful family lots of love, good health and happiness xxxx
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Thank you sweetie, and to all of you xx
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A gift of bread is a traditional New Year’s gift in some areas of the world, and you have gifted the world with your bread! Bittersweet, I know, but I like knowing that Selma sent her starter so many places and so many people have carried it forward!
Thanks for bringing this to Fiesta Friday, Elaine, and have a very happy New Year! I’ll be pinning to our FF board just in case no one else has yet! 🙂
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Thank you so much Mollie 🙂 thank you for co hosting fiesta Friday and a very happy new year xx
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My pleasure! 🙂
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Your bread is very impressive, you have reason to be proud! Fitting start to 2016, wishing you a new year filled with love and laughter and more delicious bread.
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Thank you so much Liz 🙂 x
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How fitting and touching to end the year with sourdough bread. Bread is often a symbol of togetherness…eating and being together. Hoping you a lovely 2016!
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Thank you so much for your lovely words 🙂 happy new year!
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Despite not having said anything on my blog, I have in fact been baking and experimenting with Twinkle. So many things have come out of that little packet Selma sent me. And I have even recently sent Julianna Twinkle 2.0. I need to start documenting my sourdough recipes! Your bread looks oh so lovely! Missing Selma now 😦 😦
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That’s wonderful, I’m glad you’re having fun with Twinkle 2.0. I just wish we could tell Selma about our experiments x
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This is so special and just looks so good! I would love to try making it! xxx
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You should! I bet you would do a great job 🙂
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Foof has always wanted to try! So maybe we will!
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I’ve been seriously thinking about making some homemade sourdough this year, but I’m a little nervous! Your’s looks so delicious. Any tips for a first timer?
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Thank you 🙂 I think the most important thing is to really follow the instructions & recipes as you learn. I would also throw a warning in there though as there is a LOT of information about sourdough when you start looking, you can get overwhelmed, and you can feel like it’s such an art that it’s impossible to grasp…but it really isn’t. At the end of the day, it’s bread! And if a loaf doesn’t work out as you hoped, you can just start again 🙂
If you’d like a copy of the original guidelines that Selma sent me last year, I’d be happy yo email them to you?
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That would be amazing, Elaine! Thank you so much! I would love some guidelines. It’s obvious you know what you are doing. 😉
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What is your email address?
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alamainla@gmail.com ~ thank you soooooo much! I’ll have to tell you how my first sourdough turns out. 🙂
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Cool, I’ll email you soon 🙂
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The sourdough loaves look stunning. Never tried to make a sourdough, I may have to now after seeing these.
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Thank you 🙂 let me know if you try it!
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Beautiful loaves Elaine….
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Thank you 🙂
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What a beautiful way to transition into the new year from the old with all of your good memories. Happy New Year and what gorgeous sourdough loaves.
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Thank you very much 🙂 happy new year!!!
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THat’s an amazing sourdough loaf!
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Thank you 🙂
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After days spent creating a starter and two failed loaf attempts, I have come to the conclusion that sourdough baking is not a skill I will master. (People keep trying to suggest my blog title is a misnomer. It really isn’t.) Patience is not a virtue I possess (hence being a Jack of All Trades) and sourdough seems to require an inordinate amount of patience. Also time. Also bread flour.
So, I shall return to my boring run-of-the-mill-but-still-tasty standard bread-making and admire your sourdough efforts from afar. And maybe buy the occasional loaf from Irrewarra. 🙂
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Oh no! What a shame!! Don’t give up – there’s probably a fixable reason for the fails, and remember: FAIL only means ‘first attempt in learning’ 😀
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While I was visiting your latest post, I thought I would pop back here and let you know I haven’t given up. I managed a better loaf yesterday but I cheated. I popped a bit of dried yeast in with the other ingredients because my starter is still not flash. The obvious first fixable solution would be to buy a functional starter instead of trying to make my own but I’ve never been one to do things the easy way. It’s also possible that the lack of filtered water is a factor but I just can’t bring myself to add that particular expense into the mix (particularly given I can’t prove that the water is a problem).
Anyway, on the plus side, I have teenage boys so even the disasters still get eaten! 😀
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I’m so glad you’ve tried again and that it was better 🙂
What I would say is that when I made my own starters I also struggled to create good loaves initially then Selma told me that starters get better and stronger with age. I also don’t use filtered water, I started off using water that I had boiled and cooled and then tried tap water and found no difference.
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That reply sent before I had finished typing…! So, anyway, I hope the tips help.
What flour have you been using?
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That’s good to know about the water. I was loathe to spend money that might turn out to be unnecessary. And also good news about the starter. I was hoping that might be the case so I’ve been persisting with it.
I use a baker’s flour from Defiance. I did read recently that Laucke’s is better so I’ll get that next time.
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Try putting a bit of the starter in another bowl and add some flour and your standard tap water and see how it responds to test the water..
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Your sourdough bread looks just perfect! I wish Selma was still with us, a lovely tribute 🙂 Let’s make 2016 amazing!
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Thank you so much, Petra 🙂 I feel that Selma is with me in my kitchen every time I make a loaf xx happy 2016 xx
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I am sure she is with us and smiling! 🙂 Happy, foodie 2016! xx
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xx
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wonderful 🙂
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Thank you x
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Pingback: Sticking To The Sourdough | Master of Something I'm Yet To Discover
Am busy going through all posts I can find on sourdough before having a go. If mine is one tenth as good as these I’ll be very happy. Superb baking!
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Thank you so much 🙂 I hope you have fun with your sourdough!
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