Benjamin Smith

Quarantine Pizza

I went into this week craving pizza and since I was working from home I could do whatever timings I wanted. The theory was to make a single sauce and try out different dough recipes. I kinda followed that but ended up just making some damn good pizza. Saturday, 4/13 Make sourdough dough from TheContinue reading “Quarantine Pizza”

Sourdough Timelapse

Social distancing and the shut down of all the outdoor parks have made entertaining myself a little more challenging lately. So here’s a timelapse of my sourdough levain rising from 9-5 last Sunday. See if you can spot where my camera battery diet. This was a mix of 20g starter, 100g AP flour, and 100gContinue reading “Sourdough Timelapse”

Hiking Old Rag

I hiked Old Rag on Sunday. I have been anxious about this hike because there is so much build up online about how tough it is and how exhausted you’ll be. I was worried about not being able to finish it or getting too tired through and struggling. Long story short, the hike was fantastic.Continue reading “Hiking Old Rag”

Harper’s Ferry – Loudoun Heights

Friday saw a lovely day hike of the Virginia side of Harper’s Ferry. The Loudoun Heights Lollipop has been on my list of hikes for a while and I finally got tired of waiting on friends to come along. Hiking on a Friday was wonderful, I saw a total of 6 people on the hike.Continue reading “Harper’s Ferry – Loudoun Heights”

First King Cake of 2020

This post is a continuation of last year’s, where I developed a new recipe. I followed my suggestion of more commercial yeast by doubling to 1/2 teaspoon. This dough creates a light fluffy, perfectly textured bread. It is slightly eggy and sweet and just melts away in your mouth without being the sugar bomb likeContinue reading “First King Cake of 2020”

Hiking Raven Rocks

Saturday saw another group hike with some outdoor-minded co-workers and my apartment friends. We met up at the Raven Rocks trailhead at 8AM and were back by noon. This hike has been on my list since I moved here, and it wasn’t nearly as challenging as I expected. The hike follows the portion of theContinue reading “Hiking Raven Rocks”

White Oak Canyon in October

A few weeks ago was the last camping trip of the season. I had a spot in Big Meadows which is much more centrally located. The only photo I wanted was a sunrise over Old Rag. I did lots of hiking – 3 miles out and back on South River Falls trail, the Bearfence MountainContinue reading “White Oak Canyon in October”

Acadia National Park – Day 6

I figured the last day would be a wash – literally – as the forecast was rain all day. My plan was to wake up early enough to get a parking spot by Sand Beach and see that part of Loop Road. It ended up raining in the morning and gradually clearing out before lunch.Continue reading “Acadia National Park – Day 6”

Acadia National Park – Day 5

Thursday was my last full day in Acadia and the weather could not have been more beautiful. I was up for sunrise on the seawall. The light was great but I struggled for a good composition. ISO 100 | f/8 | 1/100 | 16mm ISO 200 | f/8 | 1/50 | 35mm | Circular PolarizerContinue reading “Acadia National Park – Day 5”

Acadia National Park – Day 4

Wednesday saw the sun peek through the clouds right after sunrise. After leaving the hotel I had planned out a loop hike of the Long Pond Trail, part of the Great Notch Trail, and part of Gilley trail. I thought this would take all day so I packed a lunch. I did 5.5 miles inContinue reading “Acadia National Park – Day 4”