New adventures in sourdough

The sourdough starter I, erm, started a few months ago is going really well, and I have spent the last few months working on improving my sourdough bread. I haven't perfected it yet, but I am getting better, with more good outcomes than failures. I use my kenwood to do most of the kneading, which saves some time and elbow grease :-)

Here is my starter bubbling away on baking day.

I have become a big fan of the soft sourdough bread from Gina's blog - in fact it is the bread I make most often at the moment. I love the flavour - not just the sourdough part but also the honey. The honey flavour and aroma really comes through in this bread, so it is interesting to experiment with different types of local honey.

As a soft loaf it is also good for sandwiches (and of course makes great toast). Granted you don't get that artisinal chewy crust, but I have found the recipe to be really reliable, resulting in a tasty bread with a good texture. The version with added oatmeal is also delicious. However it is an all-day exercise due to the long rising periods required (no commercial yeast is used). Here is a recent loaf, and some rolls I made using the same recipe.

I've blogged before about Matron's sourdough english muffins, and I've made them a few times as well - they do freeze well (assuming there are any left!)

Have you tried baking with sourdough? Do you have a favourite recipe?