Notes on Sourdough

Good olive oil is a seasoning, not just a cooking fat. Weigh your flour; cups are a guess with good intentions. Seasonal vegetables need less help because they already taste of something.

What didn’t

Good olive oil is a seasoning, not just a cooking fat. Fermentation is mostly waiting and occasionally smelling things. Rest the meat, rest the dough, and rest the cook. Weigh your flour; cups are a guess with good intentions.

Weigh your flour; cups are a guess with good intentions. Salt early, taste often, and trust your nose before the timer.

Lessons

Acid at the end wakes up a dish that tastes flat. The crust browned evenly once we moved the rack lower. Salt early, taste often, and trust your nose before the timer.

• Keep a kitchen notebook
• Buy less, cook more often
• Weigh ingredients
• Taste before serving

Seasonal vegetables need less help because they already taste of something. Salt early, taste often, and trust your nose before the timer.

The short version

We tested the recipe six times and the fourth was the winner. Write down what you changed, or you will never repeat the good batch. Good olive oil is a seasoning, not just a cooking fat.

A hot pan and a little patience beat any fancy gadget. Brown butter makes ordinary cookies taste like a decision.

Good olive oil is a seasoning, not just a cooking fat. Acid at the end wakes up a dish that tastes flat.