The Half-Baked (but all true) Story
It all began when we went to California to visit friends…
A few years ago, my wife and I went to California for a wedding. While there, we stayed with our friends Thomas and Marta in Ventura. Waking up the first morning, I saw this incredible, huge, beautiful sourdough loaf and tasted it. It was absolutely love at first bite. I asked Marta all about it and how she learned to make sourdough, and I became so obsessed with this beautiful loaf, I decided that I needed to learn everything I could about making this delicious bread myself. But wait! There’s more… (psst! Scroll down more. Seriously! You won’t regret it.)
Ok stop reading this paragraph and scroll down already!
Lewis & Clark and The Oregon Trail
I know; what could Lewis and Clark have to do with “Haul My Buns,” right?
Well, along with my adventures of learning to make sourdough, I began talking to a friend of mine in Montana, with whom I went to high school. He said that he had a starter from Carl Griffith. Carl, it turns out, was the grandson of the doctor who served on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The doctor made the sourdough regularly throughout the expedition, and by the time Carl began passing out the sourdough starter, it had been in his family for 150 years. I reached out to the Friends of Carl and they sent me some of Carl’s starter used by his grandfather.
So, I have continued to endeavor to make my delicious sourdough, always using this original starter from the 1847 expedition, and in the spirit of Carl Griffith and his friends (who run Carl’s Friends), I gladly will give out some of my starter for free to anyone that wants some. (But my bread you’ll have to pay for 😉 )
I have been a baker for several bakeries in Ohio and a Barista in multiple states around the country.
That leads us to the present day…
What a natural blend, to share my love of science, art, baking and teaching by helping others to learn how simple and amazing baking and cooking are.
Join me at my next class!