inGRAINED.

baking bread on 90 degree days?
oooooooof.
it's SO hot.
so,
when the loaf spreads,
and then rises about 0%?
yup.
it's *awesome*.
i mean, c'mon-
you get to sweat your whole flippin' face off,
and then still stare at a piping-hot deflated doo-doo plop.
uh-oh.
the thing is,
i knew i'd have a dense bomber on my hands when i freaked off
the initial blend, neighbors.
33% whole wheat,
33% spelt,
33% white flour.
1 % crossed fingers.
flavorwise,
it's the superfresh stunner i knew it'd be-
heck, the crumb is even irregularly bubbled throughout,
albeit in underimpressively tight patterns.
look:

that crust is the BOSS,
and the texture is expert,
chewy, but not wet, sour but not bitter,
firm, but not dry.
it's got all the elements that should be wowing me-
but for the height, though, kids!
it's NOT rockin' my socks, man.
nope.
sourdough is a fickle mistress.
on that you may always rely.
check the opposite end of the spectrum:

100% white, from a white starter, with medium hydration,
it looked like the saddest sack of sh!t when i dropped it in the oven,
but the ovenspring SPRUNG,
and it blew open like a balloon, frozen mid-'splosion.
it's got holes in all the right places,
and the pentosans are deep into that crusty shell.
i think i might've even underproofed it in the fridge,
because the far-sweeter lactobacillus gave it a prominent yogurty zing.
all in all, a terrific loaf,
and one that got devoured in toast at an almost-alarming pace.
i'm falling down the rabbit-hole of doughs and techniques.
this new hobby is a heck of a gamble, each and every time,
as my by-eye tendencies are still unhoned and underdeveloped,
naturally, my inclinations are all but forcing me to bake MORE bread.
i don't like it when i'm not great at something.
i freely admit it.
but since i am determined to do this myself,
there's nothing for it but to DO it.
i'm making it work, and the magic is happening.
natural fermentation is the inevitable result of the right ingredients combined.
i'm applying the principle to my whole entire summer,
and we'll soon find out if i've got enough of everything to bake a crucial life
right alongside the perfect loaf.
good bread makes better people,
and i need that to be even truer than it already is;
never quiet, never soft.....