Friday, May 20, 2011

San Francisco Sourdough

Aside from the fact that the wild yeasts and bacteria that populate the city of San Francisco can be found elsewhere, I really think that the sourdough breads from San Francisco do have a distinctive taste. The breads I make far from San Francisco really don't taste very much like the breads from the bay area even though the starter I use may be similar.
A curious thing about starter (at least mine) is that it seems to know if I'm away on a trip (just like a pet), and I am punished for not giving it the close attention it is used to. Upon returning home, I find my starter balky and resists getting motivated again.
I know it's crazy, but do the yeast and bacteria have some type of awareness that we fail to comprehend.
Bakers prepare sourdough bread at the Boudin Bakery at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Bjorn Zipprich's dual chamber oven

Bjorn has constructed a very interesting earth oven that has two chambers, and because of the chambers, air pollution is significantly reduced. This is explained in the video.


 Bjorn's dual chamber oven merges with the austere New Mexico landscape