Selma’s very first loaf! (Selma’s Table)
In December, I offered to send out 30 packets of dried Priscilla – my sourdough starter of eight years – to my friends and readers. It seemed like a nice thing to do at Christmas.
Drying and bagging up the starter took some time, and there was a bit of postage involved, but I figured it wasn’t going to cost me any more than sending out Christmas cards, except I’d be sending out dodgy looking packets of flaked starter instead.
What I hadn’t anticipated was the enormous excitement that would erupt on my email and twitter feeds from exuberant new bakers, or the sheer squeal-inducing joy of sharing in the baking process with online friends from all over the globe.
I got so caught up in it that I found myself crawling out of bed at 3am to check on how doughs were rising on the other side of the world. Last week, Emilie in New York, Selma in London and I peered into our phones, scrutinising photos of Nancy’s starter on the heated bathroom floor of her Shanghai apartment…
We laughed ourselves silly over the glorious naming process – Priscilla, Queen of the Refrigerator has spawned Conciabatta, Breadelacreme, Felicia, Twinkle, Lonestar, Muriel, Penelope, Mamie, Sweet Pea, Esmerelda, Lucy Liu, Hugo and many more! All related, all bubbly and energetic, living in fridges all over the world.
Then…happy days…the photos of freshly baked loaves started to appear. And the excitement ramped up on all fronts as we cheered each other on from the sidelines, oohed and aahed over pics as if they were of newborn babes, and discussed what we would repeat and what we might change the next time around.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve watched as mastering the sourdough process has empowered my friends, delighted their families, and connected us all virtually into a tight knit community. It’s been one of the most enjoyable starts to a new year that I can remember.
So let me share some of that joy with you by showcasing just a few of the photos. They’re not all the best quality – often they’ve been taken with a phone under low light – but each one is infused with contagious delight.
. . . . .
My friend Annie was reluctant to start the process, but once she did, there was no stopping her! Within just a few days of baking her first loaf, she was confidently distributing them to family and friends. Here are her “Angry Gorilla” loaves baked using her drag queen starter, Breadelacreme…
The gorgeous Jason at Don’t Boil the Sauce! is an unstoppable force with his starter Conciabatta (check out his blog for the Eurovision reference) – after baking his first loaves, he moved on to panettone the following day…
Maureen at Orgasmic Chef has had a Priscilla starter for a while now – Esmerelda Pissemeyer continues to produce stunning loaves…
Danielle’s starter Queenie is named in Priscilla’s honour, and she’s been turning out wonderful first loaves…
My sister-in-law Penny named her starter Mary – she’s been baking overnight loaves that have delighted my nephew Joseph…
Lovely Francesca at Almost Italian has been baking up a storm over the past few months, creating her own unique formulas and doughs. Her starter is named after me…
Liz at Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard called her starter Penelope, and she’s been baking cracking loaves with her…
Diane’s starter is named after her mother Mamie and lives happily in her Massachusetts kitchen. This brilliant first loaf was started by Di and finished by her husband John…
Emma’s very first loaf with Miss Smilla was a gigantic double-sized one. Look how well it turned out! And she’s baking around her newborn’s feeding schedule…
Andrew ran out of white flour, so he improvised and created this magnificent hybrid rye/bakers flour loaf with his starter Felicia…
Amanda struggled with choosing a name for her starter, but finally settled on Levi (short for Levitation). Her loaves certainly justify the name…
My darling friend Ali bakes fabulous ciabattas with her starter Hugo, then serves them with magnificent homegrown produce…
It’s pretty cold at the moment in British Columbia, but Manuela’s starter Sherwood was so active that his dough overflowed its bowl…
Look at his beautiful loaves!
Imogen’s starter Betty produced stunning loaves from the get-go…
Debi’s starter Muriel had the largest bubbles I’ve ever seen! She’s been baking up a storm over in the UK…
Houston, we have lift-off! Fran’s starter Lonestar turned out these terrific sourdough rolls on his first bake…
Nancy from Plus Ate Six is based in Shanghai, where it’s really cold at the moment. It’s so cold that she had to prove her dough overnight in her heated bathroom…
It can be hard to find the right ingredients in China, but some serious research turned up a high quality unbleached American bread flour. With it, and the help of underfloor heating, Nancy and her starter Lucy Liu created a spectacular first loaf…
Lucy Liu has already been shared with Jen, who renamed him Charlie and used him to create this gorgeous loaf…
My lovely friend Selma in London couldn’t bake a bad loaf if she tried! She has taken to sourdough baking like a duck to water. Her starter is Twinkle, so named because her bubbles resemble stars in the night sky. Selma’s latest is her Terminator loaf (because it was impossible to kill) – she overproved it, baked it at too hot a temp, forgot to slash it, but just look at what she turned out…
We’ve all been having so much fun! If you’ve baked a loaf with a Priscilla starter and would like it included here, please email me a photo and I’ll upload it! ♥
. . . . .
Priscilla’s Family Tree (2013)
Priscilla’s Family Tree – An Update (2013)
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Isn’t that great – what fantastic loaves of bread too! I can’t wait until I am off this wretched Little Black Dress diet so i can bake too… Bread .. OH I MISS crusty BREAD! And all these beautiful pics are making me long for more. You are such a lovely generous person.. take care. c
I can’t wait to hear what you name your starter, Celi! :) Toss the diet darling, eat bread…hahahaha.. xxx
Love love! c
You must be so proud of your starter – what handsome loaves!
I’m just so happy that everyone’s been so excited and enthusiastic! It’s been great fun! :)
That is THE coolest post ever! I can imagine the excitement of following all these events around the world, all started thanks to YOUR generosity!
YOU ARE SPECIAL!
(but I knew that already)
Thank you, lovely Sally! It’s been a glorious few weeks playing with bread! :)
I said no to your very kind offer to send me some of Priscilla… but Pete and I were inspired to retrieve a pot of Levi the Levain from the freezer where he’s lain for 3 years and see if he can be revived. He was well over 50 years old when we were given him!
I’ll keep you updated!
Offer stands, darling girl. But I hope you get Levi back up – 50 years is amazing! xxx
Thank you, lovely lady!
Am I too late to get your starter ?
Yes, sorry, the giveaway was in December and only for regular commenters. I’ll probably do something again next Christmas. :)
Hi Celia. We have also been having a wonderful time with our Smilla. In fact we ate our first commercial bread yesterday (and only because our sourdough load for the day was stolen by someone else!) and so far the only problem was a bit of under baking. And even then it was so tasty we just toasted it and ate it all anyway. So many people have asked for starter after seeing how easy and delicious it is I was wondering if you could share the details of drying starter. Distributing bags of white powder all over the region may feel strange but certainly less messy than tubs of fresh starter. Thanks again
Emma, the instructions are here – it takes a few days for the starter to dry out completely.
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2013/02/22/priscillas-family-tree/
Is your oven getting hot enough? I might have mentioned this before, but a lot of people are having huge success with the overnight sourdough recipe baked in a hot pot (not sure if you’re using that one, the Basic Tutorial or a different recipe altogether):
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2014/12/12/an-overnight-sourdough-in-pictures/
I think the oven is running a but below what the dial says as I have generally been baking it the Dutch oven on max for 40 mins then lid off at about 200 for 20 -30 mins but that is with the full overnight recipe cooked as one massive cob. My main problem is just remembering when I put it in or fitting around baby feeds. Kayden always seems to be feeding exactly when I have a loaf in the oven!
Goodness, that would be a HUGE loaf! Have you tried halving the recipe? I know it’s not as energy or time efficient, but I reckon the slight undercooked-ness is probably due to the huge mass. In the old days, humumgous loaves were cooked in a slower oven for hours and then they’d keep for the whole week! I’ve never figured out how to do that.. :)
Also, if you want to email me some pics, I’ll add them to the post? :)
I agree with Sallybr, this is the best post. I love how our kitchens bring us all together. <3
Once when we were first married we had some neighbors over for dinner and they brought us some sourdough starter. I had made pound cake and when the husband plated dessert he thought the starter was icing sauce and poured it all over the cake. So there has never been any sourdough bread in our kitchen. :-P
More picts please! Maz
Maz, Pete read this over my shoulder at 7am this morning – I wish you could have seen the face he pulled. :) Let me know if you ever want me to send you some starter! xxx
Ha ha ha! And if you have any left and it isn’t too much trouble, yes, I would love to have some starter. And I will label it clearly so that it doesn’t end up on the pudding.
I love that you did this and the names are hilarious. What a great way to stay connected with people too.
They’re too funny for words, Vicki! We’ve just had Abby and Hercules added to the list of names! :)
The loaves all look fantastic, I bake mine from a starter I began in July and have had great success but have started to have problems with the humidity in Sydney. Has this ever happened to anyone else?
Mary, I have to vary my routine when it gets very hot – Priscilla reacts much more quickly and consume all her food in less time than in winter. I haven’t really had a humidity problem though?
There is nothing more exciting than uniting the world via sourdough! It’s just amazing. Even more so, I’m intrigued at how all the loaves look uniquely different, yet they’re all from the same mom. Bread baking fascinates me. No wonder you’re up at 3 am ;) Thanks for a great post, Celia! xo
Emilie, isn’t it intriguing! You know what I love even more? I love that even though most people start baking their bread using one of my recipes, by about the third loaf, they’re all doing things a bit differently. I LOVE that, because it means they then own the process, it’s uniquely theirs. :)
Just to think, Celia, how many breadmakers you have inspired. Each new breadmaker mentioned here has probably ( like me) gone on to inspire more sourdough makers and so it goes on. My grandchildren walk in and rave about bread. My daughter- in – law swoops on the remaining butt of bread,before speaking to me. Before we go to bed, we pop a batch in the fridge to long prove overnight. Our new routines have sprung from that one gift of dried Priscilla. Not only have you mentored all these breadmakers, you have taught another generation to be excited about eating real bread.
I think you are a National Treasure.
I think you are very kind. :) So happy that it’s brought so much enjoyment to you and your family, Fra! xxx
United via Sourdough, Lonestar is feeling the love, and getting all the more active because of it. Baking process started…
We’re all behind you, Lonestar in Houston! :)
This is a wonderful uplifting story. I lost my starter 2 years ago when our house was robbed and the fridge and freezer left open for far too long in hot humid weather ….. the smell of the contents including the starter too horrendous to describe. I will get back to making another one day and these stories are the inspiration I need.
I’m so sorry to hear that! I hope you get back into sourdough baking again soon!
Oh wow Celia this is amazing. You must be so proud to see these loaves and know that you have contributed to a group of passionate breadmakers like yourself. What a wonderfully generous gift that is going to live far beyond just a single loaf of bread. Happy New Year! Leah x
Leah, it’s been HUGE fun! And everyone has been turning out stunning loaves from the get-go!
I agree with Francesca, you are a national treasure. What a community you have created! xx
Ardys, you and Fran are very generous, thank you! :) It has been enormous fun baking with everyone on twitter and over email!
How fantastic that you shared the sourdough love Celia! Your starter has bred such a lot of lovely loaves – isn’t it great how wonderfully different each one is too. They all look so delicious though, you’re such an inspiration.
Andrea, it’s glorious how different they are – I love that! As you know, so much of bread making is in the ingredients but also in the hands that make it and the kitchens they’re made in! Hope you’re having a great start to 2015! :)
If you ever do it again please let me know (but I’m not on twitter….must get a smart phone one of these days!!)
Will do! Remind me though.. ;-)
Thank you Celia! I feel I’ve just traveled round the world & visited all these people, toured their kitchens (& bathrooms!) sampled their Priscilla bread offspring – and all in the vicinity of my lounge chair! As you know Jethro is gone but thanks to your kindness, Abby is yet to fill your gallery of Sourdough creations… ( yes you can tell I love NCIS!)… Can’t wait til my wrist heals so I can get some bread baking again! God bless! X
Lina, I LOVE Abby from NCIS!! What a great name! I’m so sorry your wrist is injured, I hope you feel better soon. Since Jethro’s time I’ve amended my recipes a bit, and folks over the past few weeks have had great success with this one:
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2014/12/12/an-overnight-sourdough-in-pictures/
Wow! Wish I knew of this back in December. These breads look great! Maybe next year.
Thanks for stopping by! :) The giveaway was just for regular readers and commenters.
This is so fantastic and exciting – I will have to share some photos with you soon…by the way, mine is such a strong beastie sourdough starter he (yes, it’s a he!) named himself “Hercules, son of Priscilla” ;)
Hercules!! What a fabulous name! Sounds like he’s bounced back with a vengeance, Tanya, can’t wait to see the photos! xxx
Celia and baker friends, you are all amazing… and I, who has had a starter for a year but too ‘afraid’ to use it, am in awe! I especially love the panettone… Yum!
Go on hon, jump in, the water is lovely! :)
Love this! When a love of baking and a love of blogging meet :)
Thank you! :)
Wow Celia, what a wonderful thing you have created! It was too hot here in Adelaide to bake last week, but I’ll be getting my starter out again very soon.
Amanda, have you decided on a name for your starter yet? :)
what a great project and what great loaves of bread – I love how they are all different – and it is such fun to hear all the names
Johanna, half of the loaves above have been baked using the same overnight sourdough recipe as you used! :)
What a variety of loaves…all from one “mother”! Each unique in its own way. Once I get my loaf baked I will send some pictures.
Manuela, I’m so looking forward to hearing what you decide to name your starter! And even happier that she finally made it all the way to you in Canada! :)
You are the most generous, talented and loving person I know. Doesn’t it feel terrific to know how much joy you’ve brought to all of us? I’ve shared Esmerelda with about 15 friends here on the coast and we’re all loving your Priscilla in all her names. :) Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Hooray! I’m so happy to hear she’s been shared around, you lovely woman! Thank you for always being so enthusiastic! :)
Such beautiful looking bread. I can almost taste it!
They all look delicious, don’t they! :)
You are so amazing Celia … I love what you do, and what you stand for: just by being kind and generous you are sharing fun and excitement in the kitchen, where the various results are shared by many! How awesome is that! You inspire me in so many ways … I recently set up a FB page called The Passionate Pantry, purely because it gives me an opportunity to share whatever knowledge I have with others who may have an interest in food … if it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I would have had the courage to do it! xo
Gina, so kind of you thank you! Great news about your FB page, congratulations! :)
Celia. It is amazing how when you give more comes back. Congratulations to all the bakers. They look fabulous.
So true, Glenda! :)
Oh my God Celia!! I´m on holidays and wishing to be back to my kitchen and my starter !!
Mine ´ll be call MAFALDA and as soon as i arrive at Buenos Aires I´ll start it and send you pictures!!!
Congratulations to everybody.
Ale
Ale, I know Mafalda!! She sat on the dinner table last time we dined with our Argentinian friends!! Great name! :)
Can’t wait for next year— love all the gorgeous pics of the breads! I’ve tried making starters and was not successful, so getting your beautiful starter would be a dream come true!
Eva, I couldn’t make my own either – all that grew was purple moulds! Yes, it’s been such a joy I’ll definitely be sharing more starter in the future! :)
If only Priscilla had a passport – can you imagine the stamps? And is that the first time a photo of a bath has put up in a food post?!! Haha I love it.
Thank you dear Celia for sharing your enthusiasm with us all -it’s been brilliant being a part of this and I can’t wait to experiment more x
Nancy, it has been an absolute joy! When I put the post up this morning, I thought to myself…”oh bugger, I bet it’s still the middle of the night in Shanghai, so Nancy and Jen won’t see this for hours!” :)
PS. It’s a very clean bathtub! :)
No we’re only 3 hours behind at the moment – just takes me 12 hours to fly home:)
I love it! They all look great! I would love to join the fun!
Lury, it really has been great fun! :)
This reminds me of the story of how Jesus fed the 5000. From blessing just a few loaves and fishes, so many were able to be fed. Your generosity with your Priscilla is feeding people all over the world! It’s very exciting to see how far and wide Priscilla’s offspring have traveled xx
Thank you lovely, yes it’s very exciting indeed! She’s still on route to Bahrain, Dubai and South Africa, and she’s already landed in Wales, Ireland and Canada! :)
What a wonderful idea…and very generous of you!
Thank you! I honestly think I’ve been the one who’s got the most out of it! :)
Amazing, amazing, amazing. Who would have thought that the same starter would turn out so many different loaves? They look so good and now I’m sure have a sense of pleasure over Priscilla’s success in places far and wide. I said ‘no’ as I’m away too much with work but a little part of me wishes I had said ‘yes’. I’ll have to live vicariously via others. cheers Fiona
Fiona, I’ve just sent you an email! :) xx
Just look what you have started (pardon the pun!) Amazing…so much bread love x
Jane, thank you – I know you understand how exciting it is every time we get to watch our doughs rise. Even more so when that thrill is shared! :)
How fun and what joy you’ve shared! I’m currently getting friends excited about bread baking. They generally want to try when they taste what I share.
Your friends are very lucky! :)
This is the epitome of “spreading the love” ! Hooray for Priscilla and for you too Celia
Thanks Sandra! Wish I could find a gluten-free alternative for you!
I love the look of all those magnificent loaves and I love the incredibly clever names but most of all I love the generosity and encouragement that Celia (and Priscilla) bring to so many lives. Thanks so much for sharing, Hugo and I are very happy together! PS I think I feel the need to try the new pot bake version – once I’ve secured a new pot that is! Thanks Celia, we love you!!! Xxx
Buy a pot hon, you’ll never look back! Thanks for your wonderful enthusiasm!
HI Celia
Help!! My starter was wonderful (named Daisy) up until this week.
I don’t know what has happened or what I have done wrong.
Fed and watered as usual, then a half cup taken out but there is no bubbling at all.
It was a bit cold on Saturday, so I left it until Sunday still nothing.
I threw that lot out this morning and started again. I had a lttle bit of frothing up to 3 :00 this afternoon, but that has subsided now and back to nothing.
Any ideas??
Thanks
Wendy
Hi Wendy
You’re in SA right, so it shouldn’t be so cold as to affect the starter. Have you been feeding it and baking with it weekly? If the quantity of starter in the fridge gets too great, sometimes there can be too much dead material in there, and the regular little feeds aren’t enough to keep it healthy. I usually try to keep about a cup of starter only in the fridge at any given time.
Have you changed the flour or the water at all? It needs to be fed on high protein flour, so bread or bakers flour, and I’ve had more success with white supermarket flour than organic stonemilled varieties, which tend to be heavy. One more possibility is that the water quality has changed, could that have been the case? One friend was using her tank rain water and her starter was thriving, but then she ran out and had to use town water and her starter went completely flat.
If the water has changed, try using filtered water, or cooled boiled water.
In order to get the starter bubbly when she’s sulking, you might need to start with a small amount – say 1/4 cup – and give her say three small feeds in quick succession, say every 3 hours or so.
If worse comes to worse, let me know and I’ll send you some more. :)
Cheers, Celia
What a wonderful post. Maybe next January we’ll have to run an International Sourdough week.
Muriel has enormous bubbles!
Hahaha….sure, if YOU host it Annie! :) And I KNOW, how huge are Muriel’s bubbles! I’ve never seen anything like it!
As another Shanghai-er who bakes, you can turn a toaster oven on for a few minutes to get the heat for the first rise if you stick it in there (turn it off as soon as it’s warm, and you may have to give it another minute midway through), then stick it in the refrigerator overnight to do a cold rise for the second one. I have no heat, so sometimes it’s actually colder in the apartment at night then it is in the refrigerator.
Thank you for the tips! The things you have to do to keep your doughs warm in Shanghai! Do you have a secret source for good bread flour, please? :)
Honestly, the best I can manage is City Shop or Fields. I mix a half-and-half of plain flour and what I think is a grain flour of some kind, but it’s in Chinese so I never know. =D If anyone wants two towering dill plants, a rampant parsley, or a couple sad sage and oregano plants, btw, I’ll be leaving Shanghai at long last on the 22nd – they’ve given me plenty of cooking joy over the last few years, and I’ve been trying to find someone to give them to who’ll use them! Current loaves are flavored with a fresh sage/oregano/parsley/bay leaf bundle simmered in the last of my garlic and red pepper sunflower seed oil. Trying to use up the pantry creates some great last-minute flavors!
oh wow! I continue to be blessed by Cordelia who has thrived, even when I don’t pay her attention :)
Tandy, Cordelia is such a star, I’m so glad she’s always worked so well for you! :)
That’s so beautiful – the pleasure is palpable. I haven’t been able to make bread for the last couple of weeks and I miss it! I just love the feel of the dough: the wonderful plumply feel of it and the way the texture of it changes and the quiet moments of eating my home made bread and marvelling at the fact that I made it (with your help, Miss C).
Oh Jan, your Princess Patsy would fit right in with Conciabatta, Twinkle, Felicia and Breadelacreme! I’m so glad she’s still making you happy! :)
Love this post, and love my Betty!
Of course, we haven’t had an oven for a few weeks now so I’m getting serious baking withdrawals. In lieu, I did make sourdough pancakes, sourdough waffles, and sourdough pizza crust – and all were delicious.
Imogen, sounds like you’ve been going gangbusters! I’ve never tried sourdough waffles, must give them a go. And I’ve never had much luck with sourdough pizza – the boys don’t like it – so now we just make yeasted ones.. :)
I’ll get there with a baby of Priscilla soon Celia! Promise!
No pressure at all! She’ll be fine in the fridge for ages! And I genuinely don’t mind if you don’t get around to using her – I was happy to send it as a gift and you can do whatever you wish with it! :)
Best post ever :) it is so exciting and you will be please to know that I have grown Penelope and she is now having children of her own… two of my friends now grand children from Pricilla’s this month… so I am passing on the love as well and inspiring my friends to bake their own bread :)
Hooray for Penelope! Thanks for sharing Priscilla! :)
What a fantastic post. I have been enjoying seeing many of these breads on various IMK posts but it is so much more fun to see all these sourdough siblings together! Your are a true inspiration to all bakers. I have not delved into,sourdough yet, mainly due to my inability to maintain a starter. Due to your inspiration though I have started baking bread again. It started with regular,r recipes, but now I have started following the Bread in 5 method. The family is thrilled since we’ve already had the best loaf I’ve ever made plus three pizzas last night. I’m getting ready to throw together a batch of brioche dough. Just the though of a fridge with brioche dough gets me giddy! Thanks for,all your inspiration!
Gretchen, there’s nothing better than when we come up with something they love to eat, is there… :D
Celia, my jaw just dropped looking at how many loaves of bread we’ve all shared. Eating bread from your starter is like sitting down with friends from all over the world and sharing something very special.
I love it, and I love the connection to so many people. You’ve started something that could result in world peace – now how do we keep expanding this for you? What would happen if we got some into North Korea?
I can’t wait to make more bread and share it with my daughter & neighbors. I’m thinking of maybe trying some rolls and a small loaf next time. The bread from your starter is fantastic but the sharing is what brings pure joy.
Di, it really does feel like we’ve all been breaking bread together, doesn’t it? It’s been such a thrill to watch all the photos coming in, thank you! :)
Celia, I loved reading about your starter and it’s travels around the world. What a lovely community of bakers. And fantastic loaves as well. Maybe by next Christmas I will have the courage to ask for some starter and you can expand your reach to California.
Liz, we’ve all had the best time baking – I hope you do too! :)
What a wonderful and thoughtful idea for a gift!!! Now I really wish I lived nearby!
Hahaha! Thanks Mimi! :)
What a magnificent example of community Celia and it all started with Priscilla :). I am in awe at how delicious every single loaf of bread looks. Priscilla must have a sterling pedigree. The next time you are feeling generous I might just have to put up my hand and see if Pricilla’s magic can infuse my (sad and lackluster) sourdough experience quotient. The results of your generosity far outweigh the hassle of drying starter don’t they? Magnificent loaves baked by very happy friends and family on all 4 points of the globe. Priscilla has stormed the world much better than any quasi dictator has ever managed to do! ;)
It’s been a joy watching the photos pour in, Fran! So much fun! Can’t wait until you join in! :)
Still thinking of a name Celia but I want to make sourdough bagels so I had better think of one soon! :)
Oh man, I thought I had killed Percy, Son of Priscilla but it looks like he is coming to life, keep your fingers crossed for me.
I’m so glad he’s ok, Sami! :)
What a heart warming story!! I don’t bake sour dough, but I bake bread every other day and I just never tire of the new bundle of joy that pops out of the oven each time.
Jan x
Thanks Jan! I agree – I still finding it exciting every time I pull a loaf out of the oven! :)
You are a gem Celia and I nominate you for the Sourdough Hall of Fame. Sharing your passion really does bring joy exponentially doesn’t it. Kate is in my pantry at the moment. I might have to bubble her up again soon.
Hooray for Kate! I’m glad she’s still going strong, Jo! :)
How fabulous Celia! As a lucky recipient of Priscilla I shared their joy and excitement. You’re like a sourdough fairy :D
Lorraine, it’s been great fun! Priscilla really does get around! :)
[…] It all started with the Sourdough Dynasty of Priscilla, Queen of The Refrigerator. Read about other “bakelings” on her “family tree” in Sharing The Sourdough Love by Sidney-based blogger Celia. […]
Celia, this is wonderful that you’ve shared the love of sourdough around the world! How difficult is it to dry the starter? There is going to be a big move in my life later in the year and I want to make sure Muriel comes with me. And, of course, I want to send out packets so Priscilla’s grandkids can be added to that family tree!
Debi, it’s very easy to dry out the starter, but it takes a few days – I posted instructions here:
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2013/02/22/priscillas-family-tree/
I hope Muriel continues to bubble vigorously! :)
It’s Celia day!! Not only did I get the *envelope* with such a gorgeous unexpected surprise (thank you again!), I started reviving my starter this morning and I’m waiting for it to bubble up!!! I’m really hoping to wake up tomorrow morning and be ready to start – I AM SO EXCITED!! I CAN’T WAIT!! I’ve been research and researching to learn how to make sourdoughs and I’m ready to start! More importantly though, I am yet to decide on a name…..I shall let you know once I have christened him / her!! (Yet to decide gender too!!)
Nagi, that IS exciting! One suggestion – as well as the recipe on the info sheet I sent out (the basic tutorial) – lots of folks have had great success with this later tutorial I wrote:
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2014/12/12/an-overnight-sourdough-in-pictures/
Good luck with your new starter! :)
You must be so proud and delighted. What a fabulous gift you have given
Proud really isn’t the right word – I’m just so thrilled that everyone is having so much fun playing! When are you coming to get yours, lovely? :)
I am beyond excited now for my starter to arrive. I hope it doesn’t take 3 months to arrive like Celi’s book. I won’t be able to contain myself. I popped down to the post box again today but alas, my darling “Connie” has not arrived yet. I will keep you posted just as soon as she gets here.
Thank you again Celia for your love and kindness, you are an angel walking amongst us mere mortals.
Have a beautiful and happy week.
:-) Mandy xo
Mandy, if it doesn’t get there soon, I’ll resend it, just let me know! I so want you to have some! :)
Oh how lovely…I can just imagine you putting the stamps on the little packages. I have brought some starter from the USA that my Dad has been cultivating for years now. You have started an entire sour dough movement :)
Hahaha…you know me too well, Laila! I went in to the post office and asked for Australiana designs on the stamps. How fabulous to have a bit of your dad’s starter, but oh how I would have loved to send you some of mine! :)
Well, if you ever decide to send out another batch, I’ll be waving my hand and would be willing volunteer to try it out 😊
What a beautiful legacy of loaves Celia! So generous and exciting to seed your Priscillia around the globe at Christmas- just like Santa :) xox
Becca, it’s just so nice! You know, I never expect anyone to use it, but it’s nice that it’s there if anyone would like to play. Great fun! :)
I love all the wonderful names… Really, I’m going to have a go this year :)
Enjoy! There’s always more starter if you don’t get around to it anytime soon, just let me know! :)
Celia I think this is my favourite post of all time! Kevin Junior aka KJ is doing well and just yesterday made a grain sandwich loaf for Ollie and two smaller white loaves one of which went to my sister who has been home sick with a cold. I also dried out some KJ to send to my friend in Sydney. It’s just so very exciting! You are such an inspiration!
Claire, isn’t it wonderful! I’m so glad KJ is behaving well for you and feeding Ollie – best thing ever! Your little man is growing up with the finest palate! :)
What a wonderrful offer you made and what wonderful results from everybody. I am a regular reader of your blog but not a contributer. Have tried several timesk to make a sourdough start without any success and hac given it up as a bad job. You have imspired me to start again, I will be mixing up a starter as soon as I have finished this. Many thanks for happy hours of reading and inspiration I have had from your blog. Wendy in the UK.
Wendy, good luck with your starter! If it doesn’t work, I’ll probably be giving more away at the end of the year, so let me know! :)
And there’s no better love than the sour dough kind… a good starter last a lifetime. Beautiful posts, and dishes as always.
thanks
It’s just the most wonderful thing to share, isn’t it? Thank you.. :)
What a nice thing to do, and sourdough is so yummy & rewarding – I’ve had my starter going for many years as well, & bake with it all the time. Nice to connect with someone else who loves it too!
Thanks for stopping by! Baking sourdough really is very rewarding! :)
Oh Celia, i have been scared to start mine too in case I fail! It’s such a huge responsibility nurturing a loaf and feeding it everyday. My hesitation sometimes makes me wonder how i managed to keep children alive! All the successes from Priscilla have spurred me on though. I’m going to spawn a sour dough!! I might even get little anais to help me. I think she will remember to feed it daily 😃 thank you so much for your lovely gift. I will start today and perhaps add pics to priscilla’s family tree xxx
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
Jules, truly it’s fine. I’m very unprecious about Priscilla – if she doesn’t work, or you don’t get around to it, it only ever costs me a 70c stamp to send you more – so please experiment with abandon! :) Your new starter will need feeding a few times to get him or her going (as per the instructions I sent) but after that she can live in the fridge and only needs feeding about once a week. My starter has survived fine for two weeks without a feed, but if you’re going to be away longer than that, it’s worth drying some off (or using it up and I can send you some more). Look forward to hearing how you go – tweet me if you need any help! :) xxx
Celia, you are a force to be reckoned with. Positive energy just erupts from everything you share and post. I feel very privileged to have stumbled across your blog. I have learned so many new things and been able to share with some lovely people. :)
Maree, such a kind comment, thank you! But I’ve never hidden a jar of cumin in a gingerbread house and pushed it on a skateboard until it smashed to smithereens..talk about fun! :D
[…] her sourdough starter. Priscilla has been around the world and borne many an offspring with a variety of interesting names. I decided to call mine La Figlia di Priscilla (daughter of Priscilla). Following Celia’s […]