WOYWW 480 Felt and Sourdough

I’ve been really tired this week and still getting intermittent headaches so I’ve rested as much as I can. I finished knitting the striped scarf (one of my famous UFOs – UnFinished Objects!) and sewed the ends closed, and when I did the ironing at the weekend, gave it a good press so it’s now looking OK.

To finish it off, I’ve decided to add lots of fun embellishments instead of a regular fringe. Ages ago I found a brilliant image somewhere online which inspired this idea, and now I can’t find it for love nor money – I had an idea it was on Pinterest but I think it must have been taken down, and I didn’t download it, so I shall just have to remember the impression of how it looked. This is probably a good thing because I won’t be tempted to copy it, but make it my own from a memory that inspired me.

The first step was to make lots of felt balls. I’ve started these off to the pre-felt stage, using needle felting, which is more time-consuming than wet felting, but at least I can do it sitting on the recliner. I made quite a lot, and then decided it was a waste of the coloured Merino wool tops so I started making white ones, which will have coloured wool needle-felted on top.

They are in a variety of sizes and after wet-felting they will be smaller. I can string these on crochet chains and also attach tassels to them. I am also thinking of adding a bit of embroidery to the larger ones.

I have also started making a few needle-felted flowers, some of which will also be suspended, and others will be sewn on the scarf itself.

I’ve chosen colours as close to the knitted colours as I could manage. I think the effect will be quite striking.

Sourdough

Esmeralda, my sourdough starter, has been quite active in the fridge, where she is supposed to be asleep, and after I fed her she started going bananas again so I took some out, and made pancakes again. I didn’t make any sourdough last week, but just fed her and put her back in the fridge.

Last week I was doing some more research into improving my sourdough technique and found a superb Youtube video which showed how to get a good texture from a relatively low-hydration dough. The higher the hydration (very wet dough) the more difficult it is to handle, especially for beginners like me, but if the dough is too dry, you don’t get the characteristic sourdough texture.

This man had a different technique which involved folding the dough several times over a period of six hours, after having chilled the dough and then leaving it at room temperature overnight, so quite a long process. I was able to do things in between, of course. When I turned it out ready for baking, it maintained its shape brilliantly and didn’t subside into my usual flying saucer! I baked it using the Dutch Oven technique, using my mum’s old iron casserole which creates a micro-climate around the dough and keeps it moist during the first stage of baking, allowing for what they call good “oven spring.” – the final rise in the oven.

This was the result.

From the side, you can see how much it has risen, and what a good shape it is.

Cutting it, I was slightly disappointed that the crumb wasn’t quite open enough, but this can be improved upon with higher hydration.

Following along with the Youtube video while I was folding the dough, mine was a lot stiffer than his, even though the hydration was the same. I think this is because I used a combination of white and rye flours, and the rye flour is a lot more absorbent than the normal bread flour. Next time I shall increase the hydration and I think it will be easier to handle, and also give a better crumb.

Unfortunately I had to make this into a single, larger loaf in order to use the Dutch Oven method, because I couldn’t get two small ones in the casserole side by side. My bannetons are too small for a loaf of this size so I had to use a bowl for the final proving. I shall either have to buy a bigger banneton, or revert to the original method of baking in the oven on a baking sheet, with a tray of boiling water underneath to produce the steam to prevent the dough drying out too much initially, and stopping it rising in the oven. Even when pre-heating the baking tray in the oven, it doesn’t stay hot enough when you take it out to turn the dough out onto it. The casserole, being solid cast iron, remains incredibly hot – I had to get out my old fashioned oven gloves in order to be able to handle it at all! The Dutch Oven method is definitely more successful, but without the banneton, I don’t get the traditional spiral pattern on the loaf. Appearance? Quality? It’s a no-brainer, really… However, the main thing is that this bread tastes absolutely fabulous. This is Real Food. Watch this space.

Other fermentation

The kaanji I attempted to make was revolting, and ended up being poured away. Can’t win ’em all.

This week my large fermentation vessel and bottles arrived, along with a Scoby (Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeasts – looks a bit like a dead jellyfish) so I started some kombucha (fermented tea) which is going very well in the airing cupboard – I can see definite evidence of fermentation activity. It takes about a week to ten days. After this, it can be bottled with a bit of fruit for second fermentation which will flavour and carbonate it. I can’t wait to try it.

(It looks a bit like a kid playing a shepherd in a Nativity play!)

I tasted the kimchi I had had fermenting on the kitchen counter and it’s delicious, but really fiery! I think I might have put in a bit too much of the Korean chilli powder. I stirred a little into the sourdough starter pancake batter and it was great, but next time I’ll add a bit more to give more of a kick. It’s now in the fridge, to arrest any further fermentation.

This week my hubby brought in the first crop of apples from our tree, and I’m attempting some fermented apples. I’ve added dried fruit (dates and raisins) and some spices (cloves, cinnamon) and it’s doing its thing on the floor of the pantry. I am very interested in how this might turn out.

Apples on the left (fermenting) and kimchi.

We are still continuing with the kefir. I start a new batch every night. The grains increase, and I put the excess in a jar in the fridge in some milk, and I’ve given the first lot away to a wholefood shop in Totnes – she was very grateful as she often gets customers asking if she has kefir starter kits.

I’m running out of jars. I’ve got half a dozen 1-litre Mason jars on order from Amazon. As for fridge space, that’s now at crisis point!

Kitties

Just one picture of them this week, taken with the zoom from the bedroom window.

They don’t like the rain and have taken to coming in and out throughout the day, and sleeping more in the daytime.

For some reason quite beyond my understanding, last night Ruby suddenly decided she’s gone off kitty biscuits and started trying to eat her sister’s wet food, so we’ve started giving them both the same food again! When they were quite small, Ruby made it quite clear she hated wet food and would only eat biccies. What has suddenly changed her mind again? Can anyone fathom what goes on in the kitty mind? The question remains unanswered, along with what happened to the ill-fated Marie Celeste, who killed Cock Robin, and whether the moon is made of cheese. (Funny, even after putting men on the moon, NASA didn’t tell us this. You’d think they’d know.)

Health Update

When I was in hospital, my surgeon said he wanted to see me two weeks after my discharge, which was at the beginning of May. The NHS runs on a different time-scale from the rest of us. Two weeks = three months. My follow-up appointment is tomorrow. Oh well. It’s a good thing I’ve been OK, isn’t it. I rang the stoma team a couple of days ago to see if I could see the nurse while I was there, and was told they are very short-staffed (two on holiday, and one with a broken wrist) but they’d see what they could do. Not too impressive. My surgeon told my GP months ago that I couldn't go back on the Rivaroxaban (anti-coagulant) until I’d seen him in clinic so I’ve been off it all this time, and am not sure what effect this is having, and whether I still need it or not. If I do, my health could have been put at risk all this time. No doubt I’ll get the chance to discuss this with him on Thursday.

My studio remains a total tip. Hopefully in the coming days I shall have more time and energy and actually get back in there. I don’t understand how mess multiplies when one isn’t even using the room. Another conundrum to go with the kitty mind one.

Happy WOYWW everyone.