1. Sneak some sourdough starter from Islesford into carry on luggage. Leave some “health and beauty aids” at home to fit these little jars into the allotted size tiny plastic bag for liquids.
2. Feed starter 2 times with flour and water, showing future daughter-in-law what to do.
3. Show future daughter-in-law how to mix starter with more flour and water to make bread dough. Add salt and fold dough at 30 minute intervals during the bulk ferment stage. Talk about September wedding plans. Leave dough in Tupperware container while going to the movies.
4. Come home from movies, fold dough one more time then shape into loaves and let rise in bowls lined with flour-covered towels. Go out to grab some pizza at Joe Squared for dinner, making sure to spend time in the art supply store next door while waiting for a table.
5. After eating terrific pizza, come home, turn oven on to 500º and heat up cast iron dutch oven.
6. Place first batch of dough in dutch oven, score with something sharp, cover and cook for 20 minutes at 450º.
7. Take lid off dutch oven, be amazed that the bread actually rose like you wouldn’t believe, and let it cook for another 20 minutes with lid off, so it will brown up and finish baking.
8. Ta Da!
The bread turned out crusty, chewy, and fairly sour. Exactly what Stephanie was hoping to bake. I love that this strong young woman is going to be my daughter-in-law, that she an my son are so happy together, and that she so thoroughly enjoyed success with her first attempt at sourdough bread.
Barbara S Fernald Jewelry 
Loved this post and I read it to Barb Stainton and Chris just now at the breakfast table and showed them the pictures. We loved your “make-up kit! Who needs more than shampoo anyway. No Calgon there! Beautiful bread..beautiful Stephanie..
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I took the Calgon away instead of the other way around!
Love your comment. Beautiful bread, beautiful Stephanie, indeed.
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Love the subversive tactics to get the starter to its final destination almost as much as I love the idea of you sharing the sourdough rituals with Stephanie. She’s a lucky girl.
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Subversive is true! I had to empty out the starter twice so it wouldn’t explode on the plane. (Not that it would have been a big explosion, I just would have had starter all over my lip gloss, etc.)
I’m a lucky Mom.
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Looks like lots of fun. I wish I was there as I could use the bread baking tips.
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We wish you’d been there too! Stephanie will be able to give you a full run down on sourdough bread. Robin sent me the e-mail with the date for the gathering in June. The weekend would workout fine for us, too. We’re looking forward to it!
xoxo
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Would you be interested in sharing the recipe?
What is the amt of flour and water that you use to refresh your starter?
Are you using white and a combination of whole wheat flour?
Seems as if you have combined traditional sour dough bread with the
new approach of baking in a Dutch oven.
Congratulations and thanks,
Jane from GCI
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