A Pilgrim’s Progress

pil•grim (\ˈpil-grəm)
n.
1. A religious devotee who journeys to a shrine or sacred place.
2. One who embarks on a quest for something conceived of as sacred.

For what seems like forever now, I have been trying to make a good (read: it works) sourdough starter. I’ve chronicled the recipe (mix flour and water; stir); the first attempts (and there were several pre-blog I am sad to report); the seemingly right bubbly sour-smelling (Richard uses another word I’m loathe to print) mixture.

Yes, somewhat like a pilgrim seeking enlightenment, I am on a quest for that most sacred of things: the perfectly baked, lightly browned and heavenly tasting loaf of bread, made from my very own sourdough starter.



Thus far all I have to show for my journey is one defeated, slighty sticky empty mason jar. 

So, as any good student should, I am going to hit the books.  Surely, amongst all of those many and sundry cookbooks of mine, one will yield the map that will lead me to the Holy Grail?