I baked my first two loaves of sour dough bread today. (I’ve been in the process for three days now.) My friend, Janelle gave me a starter that has been kept alive in her family since the 1950’s. Considering how lax I was with the prefermenting stage I am pretty impressed with the results. The bread, though more dense then it should be, has a crunchy crust and chewy center. Most importantly the flavor is lovely, moderately sour with golden tones when you first bite in. I struggled to get the gluten to develop properly, so the bread didn’t rise as it should have. Learning to make fantastic European style artisan bread is one of my life “to do’s.” I’ve been reading from “The Bread Baker Apprentice” and “Peter Reinharts Whole Grain Breads,” and “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day” is on it’s way to my library. I’m realizing that like all things, developing excellent bread making skills takes LOTS of time and practice- but at least it’s a cheap hobby with yummy results. Plus, it offers lots of opportunities to give to others! 
I’m also learning it might be a better hobby to take up in the winter- considering the 500 degree oven temperature!