2019-2020 Sourdough

about I year ago I decided to try making sourdough, definitely been a long hard trial, not a good baker at the best of times, but eventually got there.  Several problems, mostly my oven was not hot enough, got that fixed the week before the Lockdown!  Also big difference between non- and organic flour in the starter I've found, but while it's been mostly not great, flavour has been theree and I've enjoyed the process, however frustrating.

Some pictures of progress:

 

 

Lots of very flat loaves, not many worth photographing, last photo is by far the best loaf, I did another the day before , but left it in for about 5 minutes too long, so a bit burned on top, but apart from that good.

Like most baking, it's all about process and repeatability and am enjoying it, although flour has been hard to come by in the Lockdown

The best article I found was this:
https://www.ilovecooking.ie/features/sourdough-bread-masterclass-with-patrick-ryan/

As I live in Ireland, the kitchen is never really warm enough in winter, spring, autumn for good rising and the hot press / airing cupboard is a bit too warm, so I've struggled to get a consistent starter, I switched between organic plain, strong and buckwheat flours for feeding it, especially now when flour is hard to come by

Update 18APR20
Best yet:

 

Mixed flour, as I'm running short 25% strong brown, 75% strong white, only enough strong flour for a couple more, then I'll be mixing plain / cream with brown and odds and sods of strong, organic, buckwheat, garam flours.
But I think my technique is there now and one day there will be enough strong flour back in the shops or I'll have died of the virus, so it won't matter

Update June20:

Bought a 16kg bag of excellent bread flour from  Kells Wholemeal, I will buy flour from them from now on, got yeast as well and will be buy prooving baskets from them, when they are back in stock, latest loaf: