Sourdough

My niece gave me sourdough starter a little over a year ago. She had gotten her starter from a local coffee shop where the owners had been feeding the same starter for over twenty years. I’ve managed to keep the starter alive and have even made some delicious loaves, but one thing is certain: The more I learn about sourdough, the more I realize how much I don’t know.

The top left is the first loaf I ever made. It tasted incredible, but it was a sad looking loaf. The other pictures show some progress over the last six months.

Basic sourdough only has four ingredients: water, flour, starter, salt. The ingredients are simple, but the process is not. In an effort to produce more consistent results, I am holding myself accountable to a new sourdough routine:

On Thursday evening, I feed my starter and leave it on the counter overnight.
On Friday morning, I make the bread. Depending on the recipe, this is a process that takes 6-10 hours. The loaves go into the fridge overnight for a cold proof.
On Saturday morning, the house is filled with the aroma of baking bread. (It’s a hard life.)

On social media I see women running micro-bakeries from their homes, producing over a hundred loaves of sourdough a week. Hats off to you, ladies! After a year of this hobby I think I am just beginning to scratch the surface.