Attack of the Yeast Goop

or, My Saturday Adventures in Bread Baking

Today was supposed to be my second go-around at baking the Amish friendship bread. I baked it yesterday instead, thanks to some amusing mishaps.

This time around, I wasn't as attentive to the bread goop. I was mushing the bag and letting the air out twice a day, but I wasn't keeping close track of the instructions. On day 6 of the cycle, I dutifully added the flour, sugar, and milk. I couldn't remember- I knew at one point, I'm supposed to add a cup of each, and at another point, I'm supposed to add a cup and a half. I just added a cup & a half of each, figuring I'd add the cup of each when I baked it, and the yeast would end up fed just the same. No big deal, right? Ha. So, Friday, I mushed & burped the bag both before and after work, but not later, not before I went to bed. I left the Ziploc bag sitting on top of my microwave, just as I have every other day. Well, come Saturday morning, I show up in the kitchen to do the next step in my no-knead bread that I had started the day before, and the Ziploc bag is gone. It's not on the top of my microwave. It has disappeared. Then I notice the microwave is pushed away from the wall about two inches, and I thought that was weird. I look around the corner of the microwave and there's a pool of yeast starter. Josh said it was like a horror movie when the camera slowly pans to a door ajar and a pool of blood, and the viewers know what happened. I knew what happened. The bag had inflated and slipped behind the microwave, and the starter escaped when the top of the Ziploc bag came open. It was definitely making a run for it.

So, my plans changed and I cooked not only 2 loaves of no-knead bread yesterday, but also a loaf and 11 muffins from Amish friendship batter. I was able to salvage most of it, but it was a MESS. The lucky recipients of this round of extra starter are mostly further away- Melissa and Ashley, expect a package coming your way. Matt W, we'll figure something out. Anne, you'll get yours next weekend, & I'll take care of it until then.

Are you guys as excited as the last Amish bread starter recipient?!