Dear First name / friend,
Another week has passed! I really can't believe how quickly the weeks pass by … it won't be long and we'll be thinking about Halloween and Thanksgiving … and Christmas!
Last week I answered a question for you guys and it seems to really resonate with you. So I thought I would try and start answering a question like this each week. If you'd like a specific question answered in my weekly email, feel free to hit reply!
A question I've seen asked a lot this week is “what is the significance of the ear, is it really necessary … or is it just a passing fad?"
The answer? Well … it's not actually necessary, however I would argue that a good ear demonstrates many factors that have been executed correctly to make the sourdough bread “pop”. So while the obsession with the ear may well be a passing phase, it can be a good indicator of a well fermented, beautifully shaped loaf.
This really does open a can of worms, right? Because many people will say, well I bake amazing bread with no ear. And that's ok! But if you are wondering what those factors that I mentioned are? Well, in summary, an ear will generally occur if you get these elements right:
If you are curious to learn more about why the ear is significant and how you can achieve one - you'll find a tonne of info here.
If you're looking for a new recipe to try this weekend, why not give these sourdough hot dog rolls a try? You can choose to make them with active starter or discard - whatever suits your needs. They are truly amazing and you'll definitely want to make a second batch!
And if you're looking for something sweet - these sourdough discard iced buns will hit the spot! I can't keep up with production, they disappear from my kitchen in seconds!
If you're curious about last week's question, you'll find a summary of the tips I provided here.
As always, I love to see your sourdough wins - and help you with any problems you might be having. And remember, if you'd like a question answered in my weekly email, hit reply and let me know!
Until next week,
Wishing you sourdough success,
Kate
