Bread

About a week ago I ordered a bread starter from here. It came in this past Friday and I was so excited to see what I could do with it! Saturday night I fed and watered it according to the instructions and by Sunday afternoon (after a few more feedings) it was ready to go. I combined it with ingredients for a Rustic Sourdough bread (it sounds good doesn't it) and put it in my bread maker and hit the dough option with visions of yummy, crusty, bread that I can serve with pasta, at a dinner party with all my friends over, and everyone would gush: You made this? Yes, I did.

Well about an hour later I went back to look at it. And it looked just the same! Not a round ball of kneaded dough, just a heaping pile of flour! So I got the whole thing out of the bread maker and tried to save most of the chalky sludge oozing down the side. I kneaded it by hand for ten minutes. I was looking for the dough to become kinda shiny like the directions say, but it never did.

After letting it rise for a few hours (also according to directions) and baking it in a preheated oven for required amount of time. This is what I got (see above photo). No, it isn't a doorstop or some kind of medieval weapon, it is my supposed to be light, fluffy melt in your mouth loaf of bread. So what went wrong my bread making friends? Did I knead it too long? Let it rise for too long or not long enough?

I am going to make another loaf next weekend. I am nothing if not persistent. And I could really use some advice and or suggestions.