Another batch of sour dough....(updated)..

...for a loaf and some dinner rolls.

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The starter was producing little bubbles after it's earlier feed (now 2.35pm)...

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I should have prepared the dough last night so it could proof overnight but, hey, Friday night relaxing got in the way!

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Mini Magnums while watching Saturday Night Fever! 

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This morning, I mixed the dough in my stand mixer...

300gms of bubbly starter

1 kg bakers flour

430gms water

50gms oil

15gms salt (less if you like)

This is a basic formula by Celia at http://www.figjamandlimecordial.com

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It makes a big dough ball...which I have halved...

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I'll make a loaf with one and dinner rolls with the other.  I just hate buying rolls now so I just freeze these in bags and pull them out as needed.  So much better than store bought with no nasties!

I have covered both bowls and hopefully by 5pm, the dough will be ready to shape and have it's second rise before baking...

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We are in clean-up/purge/chuck out mode here today! Things have got out of hand in our garage and its got stuff that needs to go to the refuse centre.  I'm going to be ruthless!

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Cheers - Joolz xx

Added: the results of this bake...

This is the smaller bowl which rose right to the top (it looks deflated because the gladwrap stuck as I took it off)...

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...and the bigger bowl...

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I shaped the loaf then made rolls.  They had a second rise of 1 hour...

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Popped into a very hot oven, these took 25 minutes...

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the result, a very fine crumb...

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...but so delicious!

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Gus did lamb kebabs on the barby for dinner.

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I achieved quite a bit today - tidied my pantry and only tossed out 2 shopping bags full of items, out of date or stale, part used jars of stuff. Last time I cleaned the pantry, I hauled out a big black garbag!

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Both cupboards in the girls bedrooms had a purge, tossing more bits and pieces.  I was ruthless! It feels good!

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Cheers - Joolz xx

 

Prepping Sally...

I want to make more sourdough on the weekend so it's time to wake Sally with some food. I just stirred in a 1/4 cup bakers flour and 1/4 cup water (8.20am)..

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...and she's starting to form bubbles (12.20pm)

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I'm home for lunch and have just cut a piece, nay, slab of my sisters Christmas cake. If dark and moist and I reckon I could put custard over it! Yummy!

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Cheers - Joolz xx

 
 
 

Perfect pasta!

On Sunday, I caught up with some old school friends for lunch.  We had a great time and hope to do it again soon.

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When I got home later in the afternoon, Gus and I made fettuccini and spaghetti pasta while Kirby made a bolognese sauce.

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The sauce had dark chocolate in it - Gus and Kirby liked it, me not so much...

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 The pasta was a triumph, cooked to perfection!  We had leftover pasta and spaghetti so I put it in zip lock bags and froze it. We'll eat it in the next week or two.

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I am back juicing each morning. I'm trying to get more veggies in than fruit so the sugar content will be less. Normally I'd do 2 apples and oranges but I've cut it back to one. I will get some fresh beetroot today too.  This makes 2 large glasses.

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Not much else happening here, just work! Glurg!

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Cheers - Joolz xx

Resuscitating Sally Sourdough...

Gosh, I had totally forgotten about Sally, my sourdough starter!  The last time I fed her was December 18.  She had a good layer of "hooch" on top (this is the alcohol that is produced by the yeasts) so I stirred that back in.

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I measured out a big half cup of starter and fed it three times up until 8.30pm last night. This is bubbly Sally,, reasy to make the dough...

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I used my stand mixer to roughly mix the dough then tipped it out, gave it a very gentle knead...

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...then shaped it and popped it into a big, greased bowl.  I covered it with a shower cap... (11.45pm)

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Sally has made a feisty dough this morning, rising right to the top of the bowl ... (6.20am)

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Ready to be tipped out...

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I divided it in half...

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...gently shaped the loaves then plopped them onto baking paper lined trays.

I preheated my oven to 250C for a good half hour then turned down to 220C - baked for 25 minutes, turned loaves then a further 25 minutes at 180C...

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Quite a nice crumb and definitely delicious (toasted and served with scrambled eggs).

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Cheers - Joolz xx

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

Happy New Year!

We planned to camp down at our favourite beach spot for NYE but the spots were taken. We back-tracked to Channel Rock and found a good posse...

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We are lucky that our kids love hanging with us so they were keen to spend NYE with us - which made for a worry free night for us. 

Unfortunately, we hadn't planned on the weather turning rough. We were in for high winds and a much lower temperature than planned...

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We witnessed the most spectacular sunset ...

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Yummy barbecued prawns...

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Bri emptied glow sticks inyo glass jars - great effect! 

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Party!

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We had a great night despite the blustery conditions and slept snuggly in Ruby and tents.  We packed up after a very sandy breakfast and then spent the rest of the day Friday cleaning everything up and getting sand out of everythiing. It's now all packed away ready for another adventure!

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The kids thought a curry would hit the spot on Friday night so I made naan bread...

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...and Massaman beef curry - delicious!

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Saturday, I packed all of the Christmas stuff and got that put away neatly for next year. A good job done!

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We farewelled Bri off back to Adelaide (a nurses job is never done!) so Kirby and Nate took care of dinner.  I made desserts - an apple, honey, cinnamon pocket for Kirby and. cherry pie for the rest of us.

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We had crumbed chicken nuggets with spicy mayonnaise and oven wedges.  Yummo!

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We watched a movie then it was off to bed, big day!

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I hope your New Years Eve was a good one with lots of happiness to come in this new year. Be kind to one another, smile, do good things and love your nearest and dearest!!

Cheers - Joolz xx