162/656 - French onion soup from Stephanie's with home-made sourdough

Standing out in the cold this morning supporting my eldest in his sporting endeavours, I spent most of my time cheering his efforts, and the remainder of the time imagining how good this soup was going to taste when I got home.

I had cooked the onions yesterday and so all there was left to do was to stack two layers of sourdough, onions and gruyère in a bowl, cover it with stock and then toss it in the oven until bubbling.

And did I mention I made the sourdough myself?

I took Stephanie's advice (of course!) on how to make a simple sourdough, tearing a piece of dough from Wednesday's loaf and allowing it to "mellow" for a few days in a bowl covered with a damp cloth. I then incorporated the dough into yesterday's loaf and voilà! Simple sourdough.

I was a bit concerned at the thickness of the bread that was stuffed into my tiny little bowl, but after consuming my fare in record time I have decided I would not change a thing. The onions, bread, cheese and probably also the cognac all contributed to the wonderful finished product.

This is definitely a dish that will impress! My verdict? Superb.