Sourdough Bread Adventures

A few months ago I made my first successful sourdough loaf. The starter was from a local bakery and I got the recipe from here. The bread was really dense and I'm not exactly sure what to change for next time, but it was super tasty and tangy. I am trying to gear myself up for making another batch. The process took about three days and more time than I would be able to afford during the school year. I'd love to find a way to streamline the process and integrate it into my life, but I'm not sure how to do that yet.

Waiting

"As one project followed another, I realized why I had not been drawn to bread baking in the first place. Stovetop cooking is, at a first approximation, peeling and chopping onions and then crying; baking is mixing yeast and water with flour and then waiting. The difference between being a baker and being a cook is whether you find waiting or crying more objectionable."

- Adam Gopnik, from "Bread and Women"