Your live sourdough starter started beautifully and on time. I have not used it yet, but I will be baking with it next week. Meanwhile it is resting in the refrigerator.

The starter which I have been using is very mild flavored. Will you starter have more of the sour sourdough flavor?

Hi Jerry,
It's my understanding that how sour your finished loaf turns out has more to do with the way your starter is managed and the details of the recipe (how the loaf is built). Accurately controlling the degree of sour is beyond my level of expertise. It's one of the many things I hope to understand better in time.
Eric

I am by no means an expert on sourdough either, but according to Peter Reinhart, if you use a firm sourdough your bread will be more sour, and secondly the more yeast you use the less sour your bread will be. From personal experience, I make rye bread and use a combination of sourdough and yeast and I do find my bread is not as sour as I would like.
I have cut back on the yeast, but I still have some experimenting to do.

Years ago I had a wonderful Sourdough starter that I kept for several years. Mine was made with flour and milk and was told that was better than the starter made with flour and water. Is yours made with water or milk?

Thank you.
-Margaret Jean Davie

Hi Eric-Thank you for the wonderful starter!It is a powerhouse compared to my homemade one.I am very pleased with how it more than doubles in size.I don't have a La Cloche so I'm trying to decide which method to use for baking.I have tryed the oven spritzing with a stone(traditional knead tecnique) with good results.I am afraid to use my enamel coated dutch oven because of the high heat.Which do you think is best?My dutch oven is all iron(no knobs). Thanks again Candy

Hi Candy. Glad you're happy with the starter. You should be fine with the all cast iron Dutch oven. Maybe one of these days I'll try a dutch oven but so far only La Cloche. Most people seem happy with either one.

I just found a gem of a site being a bread maker this is so much fun. Saw the no-knead recipe on TV and now I have more variations. Thank you.

Eric,
I just filled out an order to you for a La Cloche but just before I sent it on, the computer connection went flooy!
So, I'm resending it and advising you that if it did go through, please send me just one La Cloche.
Thanks,
Tony Silvestro
8070 Camminare Drive
Sarasota, FL 34238

is there a proofing basket for the bread that you would cook in the oblong clay cooker?

Re June 11 posting about an oblong proofing basket:

If you have the oblong clay baker, prop up (because of the handle) the lid upside down. Spray it with some oil if you like, and sprinkle in wheat bran, or whatever you prefer. There's your proofing basket.

You leave the dough in there, lightly covered, until you turn it into the pre-heated bottom section of the clay baker. You don't have to preheat the lid.

Hi Eric,

I am interested in trying out the Cloche since it looks so easy to use. Do you ship to Hong Kong, and approximately how much would shipping cost? Thanks

Thanks for asking. I ship all the other products to other countries but besides the Cloche being very expensive to ship, the risk of breakage is too great on that long a journey.

Do you ship worldwide ?

Hi Gustavo,

So far to about 6 or 7 countries.

hello eric,
i am from the philippines,since i was a kid i love to eat bread,i married to a british in uk ,both of us are fond of eating bread .so i made my first bread yesterday sept.9,2007 but i think it was a failure .today i browsed in the internet about bread making and i came up in youtube ,i am very happy when i saw you on youtube .and i will make tomorrow the no knead bread ,and i will email you again for the result ,i love you