A friend once asked me why I blogged, causing me to really think about my rationale. Blogging allows me to capture a small piece of a fleeting day. It’s a tangible glimpse into moments that would otherwise be lost in the rapid passage of time. Similar to a snapshot, it will provide, in time, a memory jog of situations and thoughts that might well have been lost. And then, there will be a record of the recipes.

Someone once referred to this blog as my creative outlet. It surprised me a little, because if I had to label one of my activities in that way, I would place cooking higher on the list. And bread baking would be at the top. I enjoy writing. This blog is an important part of my day, but it’s rarely the best part. My happy place is in the kitchen; not at the computer.

I bake most of our bread, and have for as long as I can remember. There were the Beard on Bread years when I worked my way through most of the book, and more recently, the No Knead technique. The No Knead method, as simple as it is, and in spite of its amazing results, has never really put down firm roots here. I like the tactile aspect of bread. Bread dough is alive, and I want to feel it.

I’ve dabbled in sourdough a few times in the past, but thanks to my friend, Gail, who shared a cup of her starter with me, sourdough is currently the bread of the day around here. I’ve been feeding the starter and baking with it for the past couple of weeks. I’ve let other starters die in the past through neglect, but I have high hopes of keeping this one alive. I’m also happy to share if anyone wants to keep the process going! King Arthur Flour  was the original source of the starter, and they are full of good information on the subject.

I started out by saying that blogging was my way of capturing a piece of a fleeting day. On this day, there will be a living sourdough starter popping little gas bubbles on the counter, and later, the aroma of baking bread filling the house.