Remember in 2020 when “They” told us we couldn’t leave our houses and live our lives anymore and everybody started making sourdough bread? Yeah, that’s not when I started…I figured it would be too difficult and “what would I do with a bunch of bread, anyway?”. Fast forward to March of 2024, out of a desire to try something new and creative, I did some research and figured what the hell, let’s give it a go! I followed the directions on the King Arthur Flour website to get a starter going and stumbled and bumbled and ended up with a very healthy starter who I now proudly call “Todd”, named after the sour neighbor on “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” movie. Why? I don’t know…I figured my new living science experiment deserved a proper name, I suppose.
If you’re new to sourdough lingo, or just not that into it, you might be wondering what a starter is. I didn’t get it either. Turns out there’s wild yeast that lives in flours and in the air. When you “feed” a concoction of flour and water repeatedly, those yeasts start to grow and ferment and you end up with an active starter that you can use to “leaven” your bread. The coolest part is the sour…it’s fermented yeast, so it has a sour aspect to it, which I happen to love. An added benefit to that; it’s good for your gut! Lots of people with gluten issues can digest legit sourdough easily, which I think is very cool.
So, on to my sourdough adventure…I had some terrific loaves, and some flat failures, and wasn’t always sure why. When they’re good, they’re soooo good; fluffy, chewy, sour, and delicious. When they’re mediocre, they’re still good-ish, but not great, and when they’re crappy, well, they’re crappy and that goes in the trash like a dead weight frisbee. Somewhere along the line, Matt told me that if I was going to keep this up, I should dig deeper and really perfect my process. Great idea, Matt! Funny thing is, there’s SOOOOOO much static out there about sourdough, I was overwhelmed with trying to deduce why I wasn’t getting perfect loaves every time. But, guess what I found?
I found Elaine Boddy, aka FoodBodSourdough and my life was forever changed for the better. I pored over her videos and web content, joined her FB group (an amazing group of very responsive, positive, helpful people), upped my sourdough baking gear (more on that later) and was off to the races. There’s something about finding that person that speaks to you in simple, clear words that you can absorb and put to work. That’s what Elaine did for me, told me how simple it really can be…huge thank you to her for that!
Wondering what I do with all the bread? Even if you’re not, I’ll tell you…I make Sam’s school lunch sandwich on fresh sourdough bread most days, he also fancies a sourdough grilled cheese with ham and/or bacon on occasion. Matt and I snack on it regularly, I broil it to go with some of our dinners, I soak it in cream to put into meatloaf, make croutons out of it, and just generally enjoy it. The very best thing I’ve done with it, you ask? (I knew you’d ask sooner or later) I’ve traded it with friends for eggs, veggies, money, vodka, and other homemade goods like zucchini bread, jams and jellies, etc. I have a list of people that ask to be “in my rotation” and I work through the list during the week, depending on my schedule, the temperature, and other logistics. One thing I will tell you, every time, every damn time that I open the lid of my cast iron dutch oven and see that just-baked happy loaf in there, it gives me more joy than should be allowed from something like a loaf of bread.
I’ve always enjoyed cooking…but a baker??? Nope. Cooking for me is a creative process, baking is science and I’m not good at following directions when it comes to creative outlets. So when I honed my process and realized how simple and forgiving it really can be, I’m all over it now. And the creative part? You just wait…I’ve done all kinds of fun things with my loaves. Here at our house, we really like seasonings like Ranch or Dill Pickle. We’ve also enjoyed Spicy Garlic and Pizza seasoning. If you live near a Trader Joe’s, they really do have the best seasoning selection. When baking for others, I take requests (within reason) and have done things like roasted garlic, rosemary, thyme and lemon zest, cinnamon raisin swirl, Everything Bagel, caper and garlic, you get the idea. The options are really endless and sharing my weird joy with friends and family adds to my happiness.
If you’re thinking you might give sourdough a go, reach out and let me know! I’d love to share the little bit of knowledge I’ve picked up along the way. If you’re not into it, that’s okay too, but I highly encourage you to try a loaf from one of your friends that are into it…it might change your life. There’s just something about eating food that was created from scratch and joy that soothes the soul (and the belly).
Some tips that have helped me:
– A digital scale that measures grams is a must…trust me!
– Keep temperature in mind, lower temps mean slower rising of both your starter and your dough.
– The right tools make the process a whole lot easier; I love my bowls, bannetons, scoring blade, and my cast iron dutch oven.
– Find the ratio of water to flour that works for your region. I follow Elaine’s Master Recipe, but use a little less water (325-ish grams) and a little more flour (510-ish grams) and my dough is springy and happy ( I also use 10-12 grams of salt, sorry Elaine).
– Over time, you’ll learn to “know” your dough and what it’s doing and what it needs. This probably sounds weird, but I mean in terms of texture, timing, rise, etc.
– I find that adding seasonings is easier than adding inclusions (cheese, peppers, pickles, etc.) but it’s all your preference. When I do add seasonings, I use approximately 20 grams and put it all in when I first mix the dough. You can use more or less, depending on your flavor preferences.
Some of my loaves:
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