The FastDay Forum

Aina, why is your annual leave boring? How long is it? In America we have only short vacations and many people don't take them for fear of falling behind.

My company has 25 days paid vacation each year that you have to use. They make you take it even if you dont want to

I live in a country where most people won't even have a day's break from their work and they are the lucky ones who still have jobs. Even those who work in companies which close in August they don't have money to go away.
Please be grateful for having a job AND a paid vacation. To some people, that would be a gift from God.

Aina, why is your annual leave boring? How long is it? In America we have only short vacations and many people don't take them for fear of falling behind.

My company has 25 days paid vacation each year that you have to use. They make you take it even if you dont want to

I live in a country where most people won't even have a day's break from their work and they are the lucky ones who still have jobs. Even those who work in companies which close in August they don't have money to go away.
Please be grateful for having a job AND a paid vacation. To some people, that would be a gift from God.

I am happy for my job. Norway has been lucky to avoid the finance crisis though my industry is not so robust as it can be I still have a job. My previous companies allowed me to not take my full vacation time and I get paid working for those free days. I now work in a largish company that is strict with its policy. I cant help being a tad workaholic but I told myself this year I am not checking my work mails when I am on sick leave or vacation as I am on a taking care of me journey......

BTW, has anybody heard of "wild sourdough"?

. I thought wild yeast sourdough was the genuine sourdough.

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In Greece, wild sourdough is made with whole grain, barley, white flour and honey.

In Greece, wild sourdough is made with whole grain, barley, white flour and honey.

But no commercial yeast added?

Nope. There is no yeast in traditional Greek sourdough. Wild or not.

Forgot to say... The most important tip when we are making sourdough from the beginning (with no yeast) is to use bottled water unless there is a spring near us. Tap water doesn't allow the sourdough to develop properly because of the chemicals it contains.

Sourdough in the American and UK traditions is wild yeasts fermented then used as a starter.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/nov/27/sourdough-recipe-dan-lepard

Well, it is a well known fact in my neck of the woods that bread manufacturer (Wa******ns) uses limestone dust to bulk out the flour. This isn't conjecture, but fact. The baker and the limestone producer are both local. So it's hardly any surprise that people have issues eating mass produced bread is it?

Izzy, most people use yeast to start a sourdough because it is easier that way.

I agree with you, I'm just saying.

Izzy, most people use yeast to start a sourdough because it is easier that way.

The starter I've got came from Breadandwine, no yeast and using tap water. None of my books include yeast though I've come across one using bottled as it's supposedly purer.

For interest, I've kept a starter in a fridge for a month and successfully revived it.

Hi Dennis

Hope you're well.

Have to say it's eerily quiet round here, at last! No grandchildren or mothers-in-law - it's very peaceful.

About sourdough starters: a couple of months ago, my 3 grandchildren and I experimented with starters using 4 different combinations of flour. I'm such a lazy sod that I haven't yet written up the experiment.

We wanted to find out which is the best sourdough starter ......
One with rye flour (R)
One with rye and spelt flour (RS)
One with rye, spelt and wholemeal flour (RSW)
One with strong white flour! (SWF)

Have to say that over the course of a week - it got very messy!

Hope to post the results on my blog shortly - with messy pics!

I use the sourdough starter and recipe from The River Cottage Bread Handbook.
Starter is one cup of flour and one cup of warm water, mix together and leave in a warm place. In one or 2 days it will start to ferment and smell sort of appley. Then discard half and feed with the same mix as above. Feed everyday for a week then start baking.
If Im not baking for a while I put it in the fridge and try to remember to take it out and feed it once a week. I use whole meal flour to feed but white is fine. And I use tap water.

Thank you, I'm well. Frustrated because I haven't got my books to hand!

On the link I posted earlier is a thread giving details of a simple sourdough starter just using flour and water. Dan Lepard adds raisins and Paul Hollywood white grapes. Bakers differ, but I'd guess commercial rarely make a fresh starter as they've got one on the go all the time.