We’re staying on the road we’ve been building together. Baguettes. Pretzel bread. The Foolproof Sourdough Loaf. And this Saturday, we’re going somewhere beautiful. ✨ Poppy seed bread. ✨ Two versions. ✨ One bake-along. 📌 Why two versions? Some of you are deep into sourdough and ready to push hydration. Some of you are still building your starter, or just want to bake bread this weekend without a multi-day commitment. This Saturday, both of you get to bake the same loaf alongside everyone else. 🥖 The Sourdough Version T55 French flour and a touch of wholemeal at 80% hydration. The poppy seeds get folded in during the first coil, which laminates them through the crumb instead of mixing them away. The result is what you see in the photo: ✨ Open ✨ Airy ✨ Flecked with seed ✨ That nutty crunch you only get when the seeds keep their integrity This one teaches you: 🌾 How to handle higher hydration 🌾 How to time bulk fermentation in a warmer kitchen 🌾 Why we use 3.5 sets of coils instead of 4 (Hint: 80% hydration with wholemeal doesn’t want a fourth set. It tightens the crumb.) 📖 Full sourdough recipe in the Recipe Pantry: https://skoo.ly/poppyseed-sourdough 🍞 The Yeasted Version Same flavor. Same beautiful crumb. Simpler timeline. ✅ Same-day bake ✅ No starter required We’ll use the same poppy seed lamination technique with a commercial yeast dough, so you still get that gorgeous seeded crumb without the multi-day fermentation. If you’ve been wanting to bake along but felt like sourdough was a barrier, this is your week. 📌 I’ll have the yeasted version uploaded to the Recipe Pantry by end of day today. Watch for the post. 🛒 What you need to know now: 🌾 Pick up poppy seeds this weekMost grocery stores carry them in the spice aisle. 🌾 If you can find T55 flour, grab it.If not, a strong all-purpose around 11–12% protein works beautifully.(King Arthur AP is the closest match.) 🌾 If you’re baking the sourdough version:Start feeding your starter on a regular schedule this week so it’s lively for Friday night.

What does your starter smell like today????? Take The Poll Below Then Chat About It In The Comments If you recently created your sourdough starter and now you’re consistently doubling every day you need to know what smells to expect from your starter. As you recall, your starter went through several different odd and foul smells during the days of its creation. Well, you can’t stop smelling it now. You should sniff your starter every day… when you feed it, when it rises, when it falls and when it looks thin (hungry). What you smell not only acquaints you with your starter, it teaches you where your starter is i. It’s life cycle. A healthy sourdough starter typically smells pleasantly tangy, sour, or fruity, with notes of yogurt, buttermilk, or beer/yeast. While maturing (days 2–5), it may smell strongly of cheese, vomit, or feet before stabilizing. A hungry starter often smells like vinegar or acetone (nail polish remover). Healthy Starter Smells: Pleasantly Sour/Tangy: Similar to yogurt, buttermilk, or sourdough bread. Fruity or Sweet: Notes of apple, banana, or ripe fruit, indicating healthy yeast activity. Yeasty/Beer-like: A pleasant, alcoholic, or bread-like aroma, common when active and bubbly. Smells Indicating Changes or Hunger : Acetone/Nail Polish Remover: A sharp, sweet chemical smell means the starter is hungry and needs feeding. Vinegar/Alcohol: Indicates high acidity and that the starter has sat too long between feedings. Initial "Awful" Smell: During the first week of creation, it is normal to have very bad smells (vomit, feet, dirty socks) as bad bacteria die off and good bacteria dominate. Signs the Starter is Unhealthy/Spoiled : Mold: Any colored fuzz (pink, green, black) means it should be thrown away. Orange/Pink streaks: Indicates bacterial infection. Sharp, harsh chemical smell: If it smells intensely like nail polish remover constantly, it may need to be fed more often or with a higher ratio