Sour doh

 As you know I like to cook.

My approach to cooking is somewhat akin to my approach to gardening. It's science and some experiments prove things - and some don't.

While over here, my MILs next door neighbour has gifted me some starter as I do have some at home that I play with and for whatever anyone says about the sourdough community, generosity is built into the whole equation.

On the downside, MIL is not a baker and thus the whole scientific approach that I normally pay lips service to has had to hit the kerb as no scales, strange bowls and ah hoc cooking vessels have made it a slightly more -  esoteric? - experience than that undertaken in my own kitchen.

The rolls that I made first up were acceptable but not my best work - flour isn't always the flour that you are used to so what I thought was wholemeal is a whole different taste journey here.

The bao buns failed miserably but I think that I know what went wrong (as well as that whole "how tf and I going to steam them" hanging over my head that I ended up not needing to solve).

The discard English muffins that are a favourite at home worked okay although the lack of a pizza stone and following recipe instructions instead proved to be the pizza stone is a superior method.

I had made a dough for a loaf but screwed up my maths and ran out of things to hold it in so pivoted to "let's do something with all of these apples" and what I made was not what I envisioned. It's edible but disappointing.

On the upside, in the non bread domain I have managed to create enough for me to keep the visiting chef hat atop my head so phew!