Sometimes, it just doesn't work out!

The other day, I was experimenting with new inclusions (different add-ins) to my loaves. I experimented with a cinnamon, sugar loaf, an Italian herb loaf and was tweaking my olive loaf. They all turned out pretty good, and the family enjoyed them. One of my sons cut off a chunk, put it in a bag and shoved it in his pocket to take home.

Well, on Sunday, I discovered I still had a loaf of plain sourdough sitting in my fridge waiting to be baked. For those who don't know, sourdough is a process. Day one you want to get your starter nice and bubbly. On day two, you want to start the dough process, let it bulk ferment, which can take several hours, and then add the inclusions, shape it into a loaf, get it into another container to cold ferment, and stick it in the fridge. I baked all the flavored loaves on day three. On Sunday, after a birthday party for daughter #3, I discovered a loaf of plain sourdough in the fridge waiting to be baked.

I decided to bake it even though it appeared to WAY over-proofed. It wasn't holding its shape; I couldn't score it (make those fancy designs), but I tried my best and threw it in the oven. It was pretty much a hockey puck. But my husband cut into it, and we had a nibble, and it was really good! So today, we will slice it in half and add some prosciutto, arugula, mayo, and Havarti for a simple sandwich. I am pretty darn sure it will taste amazing.

I wouldn't sell a loaf like this, but you might be able to take away a lesson from it. When things don't seem to be going the way you thought they should, keep going, keep trying. You never know if something better than expected will happen as a result!