Sourdough - simplicity

I started a new sourdough this week. People might think sourdough is complicated or difficult but in my experience it is neither, I've found it really simple and forgiving. The other day, I took a clean yogurt pot, put in a spoonful of yogurt, a spoonful of flour and enough tepid water to make it a batter-like consistency. Then I (wrestled it out of the grasp of my little boy who wanted to eat it) put a bit of kitchen roll over it and set it aside. The next day I mixed in some flour and water, and the next day I mixed in some flour and water.... and so on. When it split, I mixed it up again. When it started to look nice and bubbly after about 5 days I knew it was ready! 

To make bread with it I use about 2 parts sourdough to 3 parts flour, a few shakes of salt, a spoonful of sugar (a la Mary Poppins) and enough water to make a dough. I often dribble in some olive oil but it's not essential. The only difference to using yeast is that it takes longer to rise. So you mix it in the morning, prove all day, then shape it in the evening to bake later. 

Oh it makes good bread... 

All right, this loaf came out a little wonky... tastes good though!

And in the end it's just a matter of flour and water... To my mind it couldn't be simpler. 

When you've got your starter going you just feed it some flour and water each day and make whatever you want out of it. If you want it lower maintenance you keep it in the fridge and feed it every few days. I hear you can even freeze it. A goldfish is more work than that and you don't get any bread from a goldfish. And if you get fed up with sourdough you can just throw it away... Unlike the goldfish. A goldfish is for life.