“I loved walking home with a warm loaf of bread and breaking off a piece of fresh, delicious crust to chew along the way.” — Natalya
A molasses-flavored sourdough bread I have made several times was discovered on a site named, Natasha’s Baking. It’s soft rye bread with a touch of sweetness. The bread has a golden brown crust and rises perfectly each time. The directions are straightforward with a few “options” for adding dry milk and .5 grams of dry yeast (which I do add). It freezes very well and retains its delicious taste.
Curious about Natasha, I began exploring her background and what other baking adventures she might be undertaking. My research led me to somewhat limited information, but I was delighted to discover that she not only shares her recipes online (her Baker’s Journal) but also offers courses online and is a published cookbook author. A cookbook I was most interested in was titled,
Sourdough Baking with Kids: The Science Behind Baking Bread Loaves with your Entire Family
Through our public library’s interlibrary loan system, I was able to obtain a copy to preview. After reading the introduction, I learned that Natasha is Natalya Syanova who grew up in Ukraine. As a mother in the United States, she wanted to create healthy eating habits for her children. She began by introducing them to the wonderful taste of homemade bread that she remembered in Ukraine.
After exploring her cookbook and trying many of her recipes, I conclude that it is a terrific beginner’s sourdough bread cookbook that teaches adults sourdough baking and how children can join in! It describes how to begin making sourdough starters and has important suggestions for good baking habits. This cookbook is filled with delicious recipes and lots of information about types of flour as well as step-by-step instructions for making sourdough starters.
This cookbook is definitely one that Vermont Food Librarian would recommend as a holiday gift for any parents who want to enjoy sourdough baking with their kids!
Happy Holidays, 2022! — Carole
- Soft Rye Sourdough Sandwich Bread https://natashasbaking.com/soft-rye-sourdough-sandwich-bread/
- Natasha’s Recipes (Blog) https://natashasbaking.com/blog/
- Sourdough Baking with Kids: The Science Behind Baking Bread Loaves with your Entire Family by Natalya Syanova ISBN 978-0-76037-147-3 $15.39 paperback
Vermont Food Librarian 
The texture of this looks beautiful!
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Thanks, Dorothy.
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