Sourfaux

Yesterday, I attended a sourdough workshop and came home with a starter. I may or may not manage to keep it alive. I might have beautiful bread, I might get way too involved and start bringing it on trips. Who knows. But I’m not concerned if I never get a lovely loaf because I have a way to make bread without a starter. It’s called yeast.

Well over a decade ago, I found a recipe for crusty bread that mimics a lot of sourdough’s properties, but relies on commercial yeast for rise. I’ve never had a bad loaf. Unfortunately, the original website (frugallivingnw.com) is defunct, so I have to take it upon myself to put it back on the internet where it belongs. It was called Amazing no kneed bread or something like that. We call it crusty bread here in this house. It makes a large, sourdoughesque loaf of bread that is marvelous for dunking into soups or stews, making toast, making French toast, drenching in butter…. It is bread. You can make sandwiches with it, but it’s not very conducive to that application. There are better sandwich bread recipes out there.

The original recipe was exact. I am not. I actually had to pull out a scale to see how much water needed added because I forgot. This is a very easy, basic loaf that I’ve never had a problem with, even though I do not really measure anything anymore. 

Times are all approximate and it is a very forgiving dough recipe. I will not be beholden to a lump of wet flour.

… My sourdough is going to die, isn’t it.

Without further ado, I present-

Joelle’s super amazing crusty bread she stole from another blogger

Ingredients 

6 cups all purpose flour (bread flour works, unbleached works, half whole wheat works…I wouldn’t recommend cake flour or a gluten free recipe. The whole idea of this particular bread is to let time instead of effort develop gluten)

1/2 tsp yeast

2 tsp salt (iodized is just fine)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 3/4 cups warm water

My kitchen was not clean. I don’t clean on Sundays, but I took photos anyway. You’re welcome. 

Trusty 5 qt OXO mixing bowl

Or whatever brand

Add flour

Poof

Add yeast. I measure like this. It’s probably closer to a full teaspoon. Who cares…

Magic rising dust

Add salt. I measure like this. Don’t undersalt! It is vital to tasty bread. 

Magic tasty rocks

Add oil. I just pour it from my olive oil bottle

Glug

Hand mix. 

My hand looks purple throughout. Promise it’s pink in real life and I’m not a zombie. 

Add water. Mix to shaggy. I added 450 mls. That was probably too much. 425 would have been better. That’s 1 3/4 cups. 

Shaggy dough

Cover with-

Plastic wrap

Defying gravity! I don’t know why it’s sideways and I’m not fixing it.

Foil

Shiny!

A dirty pan lid

Ew. Maybe not this one.

A clean towel

Classic

Anything that covers the bowl. I currently use a silicone multi use lid I got from Aldi. 

Now the most important part- leave it alone. The time is what allows for gluten production and the yeast to develop some more complex flavors. This is a two day process. If your kitchen is 70° or warmer- stick it in the fridge after a couple hours and pull it out an hour before you want to shape. If it’s under 70°, it can sit out overnight. It’s ok if it overproofs in your warm kitchen, really. It will still taste fine. At least twelve hours, but eighteen is better.  I finished this stage around 6:30 Sunday evening. It won’t make it eighteen hours. 

It’s now 10 AM Monday morning. My kitchen is cleaner… Let’s shape!

Piano for lessons and all

Our dough has risen extensively. 

Bubbles!

To shape, you can turn it out onto a sillicone sheet, parchment paper, a lightly floured counter, whatever. Due to the over watering in step one, I just shaped it in the bowl.

Scoop underneath the dough ball and fold it on top, forming a skin on the bottom and a seam on the top. You could also fold it all under if you are so inclined.  

Scoop

Squish!

When you are satisfied with both your skin and seam, flip the ball over to place the seam on the bottom and the skin on the top. 

Good enough.

Cover and allow to proof for two hours. 

Ugh. More waiting. 

While we wait, let’s talk baking vessels. I bake in my four quart Staub Dutch oven. I use my four quart Dutch oven for EVERYTHING. I adore my Dutch oven. Everyone who cooks should have one. I can’t believe I waited until 2020 to get one. 

Much beloved 

But, if you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can use any tall sided cookware that can withstand a 425° oven. I used this super cheap Walmart cookpot and took the handles off for almost a decade before I got my Dutch oven. It worked just fine. This bread does need side support until it is baked or it will flatten entirely. Any high sided cooking vessel will work. 

 

I know you’re jealous of all my fancy stuff

Ok. It’s been an hour and a half (11:30). Put your baking vessel in the oven and set it to 425°. Once it’s piping hot (about half an hour), pull it out and dump the bread- seam side down- into the heated baking dish. I put some cornmeal on the bottom of the pan, but it’s just because I like the texture. It’s completely optional. Mine went into the oven at 11:54. 

Pretty! Sideways again….

Not pretty!

Cover and toss into the oven for 45- 55 minutes. This is a big loaf. It takes a lot of time to bake. If you are worried about internal temp, bread needs to hit 200° to be completely baked. I have never temped my bread. It has never come out under. I do tap on the top if I’m worried and, if it feels hollow, I know it’s done. 

When 45- 55 minutes is up, remove the lid and look at your… very blonde loaf. Don’t fret. We covered it because if we baked it open, it would overbrown before it was finished baking. 

Almost there

 Set your timer for 15 minutes and look again. 

Aww yeah. Golden brown and delicious. 

The time is now 1:09. Turn out of your pan. It will literally fall out if you turn it upside down. Wire rack not necessary, but does allow for better airflow. Listen to it crackle into place and inhale all the yeasty goodness. 

LOOKATIT

Now for the hardest part. The final wait. All bread needs to rest to allow the gluten to set in place. At least two hours. Otherwise, you’ll just have glue. You could make two smaller loaves (adjusting for time) with this recipe and tear into one while it’s hot- like a heathen. That is sometimes worth it….

Let your Dutch oven cool, wash it, fill it with something delicious (tonight, Monday, is butter chicken) and serve alongside your homemade bread you practically ignored all day. 

Basically clean. 

I did wash it before refilling it…

Slice

Serve!

Summer Zoom Painting- My Backpack

 Good last Summer Zoom afternoon!

Let’s get recapping, shall we?

Small skill start-

I didn’t have a small skill start today. You all know as much as I do, now. Today is a celebration of everything we’ve talked about over the last ummm…. Let me count… eighteen weeks! Go us! Just enjoy working together and making something fun  

Painting together-

Today we painted backpacks. This is mine. 

Our verse today is Second Timothy 2:15. Study to show thyself approved unto God. A workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

As you go about your school year, make sure you are focusing not only on your work, but also on why you’re learning and how you present yourself. Not so people can see your works, but so you can glorify God. 

Continuing learning-

We have been using children’s tutorials by Let’s Make Art this summer. There are many free videos from them both for children and for adults. If you decide you don’t like any of the old videos from the hundreds they have to offer, there will still be weekly videos and occasional tutorials and paint alongs on the YouTube site. HOWEVER,

Sarah Cray is the owner of Let’s Make Art and is selling digital boxes of more advanced tutorials that will not be on YouTube. My sister purchases these and we occasionally do them together. This is an example-

Pretty, yah?

Nicole Miyuki is the artist we have been following mostly this year. Her children’s tutorials are amazing. She and Let’s Make Art parted ways a while ago, but she has since built her own business and also has a subscription family art monthly program. 

If you wish to support either of these ladies in their businesses and learn some things along the way, here are the websites-

Sarah- 

https://www.letsmakeart.com/

Nicole-

https://www.nicolemiyuki.com

https://theabunchcrew.com/

I hope you enjoyed and were blessed by painting together this summer, whether you came every chance you got or only visited once or read blogs, I appreciate the encouragement and so annoyed working through these projects together. 

God bless your school year!

Summer Zoom Painting- Lighthouse

 Good afternoon!

First day of community for our elder students, so there was a crowd of littles at one house. I hope they managed to get through ok. WiFi was spotty at best.

Small Skill Start-

Today we painted a lighthouse, but we started with a blank page. We had to draw the lighthouse. A lot of people are afraid of drawing. I’m not the biggest fan of drawing. So I encouraged them to remember that everything is simple shapes and to be confident and know they could draw. 

Painting together- or separate, as the case may have been…

Today, we painted lighthouses. Here is mine. 

Our verse for today is Matthew 5:14-16

You are the light of the world. A town build on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 

At home practice-

I didn’t take a picture of them,  but I want your students to practice shading. You can see a little in my lighthouse. It’s not great, but a meager attempt was made to make the sunshine on one side of the house and it to be darker on the other. Have your students draw a flat shape, decide where the light is coming from, and try to “round it out”. I should be able to update with my attempts at such this afternoon. 

Summer Zoom Painting- Space Aliens

 Good afternoon!

Busy day for our community. School is coming up *fast*. Hope everyone is keeping calm as possible through it. 

Small skill start-

Today, we talked about composition. In essence, it’s just how the sum of the parts makes the whole, but that’s really broad. I showed how you can use two shapes and manipulate they are arranged to tell different stories or intimate movement. Just two shapes. No color, no facial expressions. 

I suggested that we keep the idea of what we want to say with our painting even before we put color on the page. Making sure our drawing offers a whole story or at least implying movement. Starfox 64 vs Space Invaders. 

Painting together- 

Today, we painted space aliens. These are ours. 

Our verse for today is Psalm 108:8 Be exalted, Oh God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. 

At home practice-

A really easy way to practice composition is to take three objects, either on paper or in person, and try to find how many different ways you can arrange them or what you can do to draw the eye from one section to another of your space. Try it with circles, blocks, books, cans… whatever you want. Three objects, many compositions. 

Summer Zoom Painting- Sloth Family

 Good afternoon!

I know we desperately need the rain. Our yard has only needed mowed once since June, so I hope everyone is enjoying it, or at least finding ways to enjoy yourselves with it. 

Small skill start-

Today we used toothbrushes to create a fur texture. I gave the students some other ideas about how you could use a toothbrush in painting. If time permits, I’d suggest having your kids look around the house for other things they could use to make different textures or patterns. 

Painting together-

Today we painted a sloth family. Well, I did. Jeremiah deleted his baby. 

Our verse for the day is Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

There are so many verses about families that really impress the greatness of Gos and how we should desire to pass His goodness on to our children  I’m sure we could all find at least a few that speak to our own hearts as well as to the young people we have been entrusted to raise.

At home practice-

Jeremiah and I used a brown from a tube, but brown is basically a dark orange. Spend some time and practice mixing browns so you can see the ways different colors play with each other. Remember, no color is bad, but some colors are better for the particular painting you’re working on than others. Don’t forget to label your colors for later reference!

What’s that last one? I’ll never know, now. 

Summer Zoom Painting- Tie Dye

 Good still Friday, everyone!

It’s been a day, but we made it and we painted and none of us are home yet despite being in different places most of the day, but that’s ok. 

Small skill start-

The idea of today’s project was to make something to give away. So I wanted to talk about the value of small gifts and that even if you don’t think you’re good, someone you give time, energy, or effort to will appreciate it. 

I read a good portion of 1 Corinthians 12 that talks about gifts and the body and said even if none of us are ever Michelangelo or we never paint a Mona Lisa, what we make still has value.

Painting together-

Today, we painted tie dye cards. Here are ours. 

Those neons, tho.

I forgot to pick a verse because I had a few in mind. So I quickly looked up one of them and Jeremiah read it. 

Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers. 

Another option was James 1:7 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows. 

So choose your favorite. Or your own. 

At home practice-

As stated before, none of us are home, so I can’t show you my attempts, but I will try to update with a photo on Monday sometime. 

This week, I want you to try mixing orange. Make sure you label your base colors! Have fun!

Summer Zoom painting- Brontosaurus

 Good afternoon!

I hope you’re enjoying the beautiful weather. It’s been a spectacular day to be outside. 

Small skill start-

Today’s video was by a different artist on the same website. I chose it because we’re rapidly approaching the new school year and I wanted the kids to understand that even though she’s different and it could be scary or uncertain, you can learn great things from someone new. And maybe you like one teacher better than the other and that’s ok, but there is value in learning even if you don’t know what to expect from the new situation. 

Painting together-

Today we painted a brontosaurus, which was a real name of a dinosaur, then it wasn’t (umm, actually, that’s an apatosaurus), and now I’m pretty sure there is a sauropod known as a brontosaurus again. Love paleontology. Anyway, here are ours. 

Our verse is Job 40:15-18, since some scholars believe it may possibly be based on a sauropodian creature. (There is debate on the two creatures in Job and their actual existence vs mythology, don’t theology at me, bro. I just like the passage. The entirety of the “Who are you anyway?” speech by God is magnificent and humbling, as I guess it’s supposed to be.)

Look at the behemoth
Which I made along with you
And which feeds on grass like an ox
What strength it has in its loins,
What power in the muscles of its belly. 
Its tail sways like cedar;
The sinews of its thighs are close-knit
Its bones are tubes of bronze,

Its limbs like rods of iron

At home practice-

This week, I want you to try to make purple. Grab all your reds and blues and go to town. Make sure you label each color so you know the perfect combination for the purple project you have planned!

Shoot. Its sideways. Oh well….