Well, I didn't get a chance to post (or take pictures) of Days 4 and 5 of the Pioneer Bread Project!
Day 4 barely got done with the whole New Years/Family time this weekend but the starter did get fed!
Day 5 was yesterday, and by the time we made it home from church, ate lunch with the family, and went to a baby shower...it was late in the evening before I got around to the starter! However, I did manage to get it separated and got 1 1/2 cups of starter divided off. With that, I started a sponge for baking today and used what was left over for making two loaves of Amish Friendship Bread!
I would have taken pictures of the Amish Bread...but the kids LOVED it...they basically ate an entire loaf for breakfast (with Daddy's help)! The little bit that I tasted was good, but not fully Amish Bread...you know how Amish bread is USUALLY very cakey and sweet! Well, this had a 'bit' of bready taste with it...so it wasn't as 'sweet' (though Marion said it was sweet enough for him). I could have taken a picture of the second loaf...but I forgot to...and Marion already took it over to Grandma Marianne's house for her to try. Oh well...I'm sure I will be making more of it because they loved it so much!
The really good news is that I got a new light bulb for the oven and so I can now use the oven to help 'cultivate' the starter and help the bread to rise. I'm a little concerned though...the second loaf of bread we are trying to make hasn't risen very well so far and its been setting for almost 8 hours! Though I did noticed that since we put it in the oven with the light on we've had more progress in the last hour! Honestly, I have NEVER had much luck with ANYTHING rising well! LOL! I don't know if we keep the house too cool for the bread to really do well or what, but I am slightly more hopeful now that we have the oven light!
I'll let you know if this second batch flops like the first one! I do know that the 'instructions' say to let the starter go for several WEEKS before using it to allow it to be well established and stabilized. But I just couldn't 'dump' the divided starter down the sink and the Amish Bread did turn out very well! So even if the sour dough bread doesn't work so hot for a few weeks...we can at least do the Amish Bread!
Okay...well...E needs a bottle so I better run...
