It started with a single raised bed. Before I moved, I lived right next to downtown. There was tons of traffic and not a lot of wildlife. Then I moved to the suburbs. I’ve seen rabbits, rats, deer, and turkeys in my neighborhood. Cage 1.0 was built to protect my garden.

Cage 1.0 has spent 2 summers outside now. The PVC pipe & bird netting have held up well. The zipper door needs some repairs. That’s a project for this summer. I know the rats can chew through bird netting. Placing the cage and bed right next to the house has been key to Cage 1.0 surviving.

Then I got a second raised bed. We moved on to Cage 2.0

The wood supports and wire mesh have held up well. Cage 2.0 and the bed sit on paving stones to keep them off the dirt. It’s also not touching the back fence, in case of termites. Last summer I found scat on the roof of Cage 2.0. I don’t know if it was raccoon or possum or maybe even coyote. We have all of them in the area. Whatever it was, Cage 2.0 held up beneath it.

Obviously I don’t have a large backyard or lots of dirt to work with, but even a small garden can be fulfilling. It has certainly been my haven during the last 2 years of COVID.

This winter I planted spinach, carrots, and beets. The beets are new for me, as I’ve never planted them before. We’ll see how they go. The spinach and carrots worked last winter in Cage 1.0 next to the house. I tried planting all three in both cages this time.

I didn’t plant neat rows. I didn’t make note of exactly what I planted where. Honestly I was a bit disappointed when I was planting. I thought I was planting too late when the weather was too cold. But the seeds have started to sprout!

Gardening is like sourdough bread. Both of them are my Great Experiments!

No kneading. No yeast. Makes 1 loaf. 77% hydration. 12% wheat.

Day 1 after work (about 5PM) – remove the sourdough starter from the fridge and pour off any accumulated hooch from the top. Allow the starter to warm up on the counter. The starter should not have been fed within the last few days to get a strong sour flavor.

After dinner (about 7PM) – start autolysis. Combine in a large plastic mixing bowl or tub:

               62 grams wheat flour

               458 grams unbleached bread flour

               400 grams water heated to about 80-90°F

Mix by hand or with a dough whisk until it just barely comes together. Cover bowl with a damp dish towel. Let sit for 1 hour.

About 8PM – add salt and starter to the dough:

               12 grams salt, ground and weighed

               90 grams starter

Mix dough by hand. Cover bowl with damp dish towel. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Take this time to Feed the Beast! Add equal parts of flour and water to the starter jar and mix together. I usually add ¼ cup each or 1/3 cup depending on how much starter I have left. Place starter jar back in fridge.

8:30PM – first set of stretch & folds. Cover bowl with damp towel. Reset the 30 min timer.

9PM – second set of stretch & folds. Cover bowl & set timer.

9:30PM – third set of stretch & folds. Cover bowl & set timer.

10PM – fourth set of stretch & folds. Cover bowl with damp towel.

Kitchen should be about 70-75°F. Leave covered bowl on countertop to proof overnight.

Day 2 about 8:30AM – if the dough is not close to doubled in size, then move the bowl to a warm sunny spot in the kitchen. Wet the dish towel again and cover the bowl.

About 10AM – bowl will be warm to the touch, dough should have large air bubbles and noticeable extra rise since before. The dough will be warm, sticky, and challenging to work with. Clean & dry countertop and apply lots of flour. Prepare the banneton by adding 1-2 spoonfuls of a blend of rice & semolina flour to prevent sticking. Rotate the banneton with the flour blend inside, getting maximum coverage on the inside walls.

Use a dough scraper on the floured countertop to fold the dough into its final shape. Work quickly to get it into the banneton. Place linen liner over the top of the banneton but not touching the dough. Put the entire banneton with cover into a plastic bag and move into the fridge for cold retard.

*Note – my fridge is about 40°F. The dough will have some additional rise in the fridge but not much. If your fridge is closer to 32°F, you may have no additional rise. The longer the dough sits in cold retard, the easier it is to score and handle before baking.

Anytime after dinner & before bed – bake bread. Place Dutch oven with lid on in the oven. Preheat oven to 475°F. Tear off parchment paper to use to transfer the dough.

When the oven is up to temp, carefully take out the hot Dutch oven and place it on the stove top. Remove lid. Work quickly. Take the banneton out of the fridge. Remove plastic bag and linen cover. Turn banneton upside down, centered above the parchment paper. Wiggle gently if needed to get the dough to release from the banneton. Use a bread lame or knife to score the top of the dough. Lift up the dough using the corners & sides of the parchment paper. Carefully move parchment paper with dough into the hot Dutch oven. Place lid on Dutch oven. Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove Dutch oven from the oven. Set lid aside on stovetop. Reset oven temperature to 450°F. Bake uncovered for another 25 minutes.

Remove Dutch oven. Use thermometer to confirm that bread is done at 210°F on the inside. Leave everything on stovetop to cool down. Do not cut bread until after it has cooled to room temperature.

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