My Ongoing Love of Sourdough Baking

I ask myself this question sometimes ... why do I love sourdough baking so much? My sourdough journey started in late summer of 2023, while in the home of one of our daughters. I saw a jar of her sourdough starter on her kitchen counter, and was drawn to it like a magnet. I had been interested in learning the process, but had been hesitant to try to create a starter on my own. But with a starter gifted to me in August 2023, I began the journey of learning sourdough baking. And now, a bit over two years later, my interest in and love of sourdough baking has even grown from those beginning days!

And it has been quite a journey! Though really quite easy once you learn the rhythms of caring for a sourdough starter, initially it was quite a learning curve for me. And I am still learning. And maybe this is one reason why I love it so much ... there is so much to learn, so many ways to perfect the process, and unending things to make with a simple sourdough starter. Natural yeast + water + flour = absolutely delicious, nutritious breads and more. It is an adventure that keeps going on and on ...

Click these links for my first two posts on sourdough baking:

Beginning with Sourdough - from Dec. 2023

My Current Sourdough Rhythm - from Jan. 2024

Having now passed my two-year mark of sourdough baking, I thought it would be fun for me to share some of the things that I have learned since my beginning days. For my own records, also as hopefully it may be encouraging to others who are in the process of learning, as well. 

I have learned a lot about the various feeding ratios of starter + flour + water. Where I started out using the 1:1:1 ratio, I now use a variety of different ratios, depending on the timing of needing my starter ready for baking. During the hot and humid days of summer, I used a 1:10:10 ratio for an overnight feeding of my starter, as I wanted to have it ready to mix dough with first thing in the morning.

I have also learned a lot about how the temperature of the water, also of the  dough, plus the temperature of my kitchen affects rising times. It has become much easier for me to plan ahead for when I want to mix my dough, and also for when I want to bake my bread. 

I also love to use my electric baking mat to speed up the rising of the dough during the daytime hours. This is especially helpful during the colder winter days, but I have also used it during the summer and fall days, as well. Click HERE for the one I was gifted for my birthday over a year ago. (Mine is the Large size, 12x18 inches.)

I have also learned a variety of helpful techniques to strengthen the dough, giving the bread a higher rise. One of these helpful tips is to lengthen the time of the actual mixing of the dough, even spending up to 7-8 minutes with the mixing itself. This has made a significant difference in my bread.

Basically, sourdough baking becomes easier as we become acquainted with all the ways that we can make it work for us individually. Making it fit into own personal daily life, and also how to get optimal results in the different seasons of the year.

I continue to learn from multiple sourdough bakers by following them on Instagram. One of the most helpful to me has been Second Rise Sourdough, who gives great tips on understanding ratios, temperature, and more. I have learned so much from purchasing her ebook entitled: Sourdough YOUR Way.

As a result, my weekly sourdough baking rhythm has changed. I can now determine which feeding ratio to use depending on when I want to be mixing my dough. How much starter to prepare for what I plan to bake, resulting in very little discard. I can also fluctuate with the ratios and timing, as the weather changes.

My overall current timetable for my weekly baking covers a three-day span. Day 1: feeding my starter after being stored in the refrigerator - once midday, then again in the evening for an overnight rise. In the summer I used a ratio 1:10:10 ratio for the overnight rise. Now with colder weather coming, I'll be changing that ratio for the overnight rise. Day 2: mixing up the bread first thing in the morning, and then taking it through the various steps of the recipe through the day. Then shaping it and putting it in the refrigerator overnight. Day 3: the actual baking of the bread.

The best part of the whole process is the beautiful, and absolutely delicious bread, made with natural yeast which is healthier and easier to digest. I don't think that I have purchased any loaves of bread from the store since I started sourdough baking in the late summer of 2023. I enjoy the process, the warm aroma of bread baking, and the delicious taste of sourdough bread. An added bonus is the joy of sharing it with others. I am thankful.

                                      

A Feast for the Eyes, the Table, and the Heart

Each day can be a feast for our souls, and these beautiful Autumn days give us such a grand feast. Our yard and deck continue to be filled with the beauty of summer blooms, in addition to the vibrant colors of our fall mums. My husband and I can hardly take in all the beauty around us ...

Our small veggie garden continues to produce tomatoes and green peppers, and we recently brought in the rest of the butternut squash. We love baking these squash (after cutting them in half lengthwise), and brushing on a bit of olive oil, also a generous amount of melted butter and honey, some of which overflows into the pan. Then sprinkled with salt & pepper, and some herbs, as well.  So delicious to serve alongside a main dish.

It was time this past week to make some more granola. We have come to really love this recipe for Chunky Sourdough Granola, and don't like to be without it for very long. I double the recipe, and make it just as the recipe says except for substituting roasted sunflower seeds for the pumpkin seeds in the recipe.

I took a bit of time this past week to simplify my vast recipe collection from over the years, choosing some of my favorites from each recipe category and keeping them in a notebook for easy access. This will make for more ease in decisions of what to make each week. Two main dish recipes that I used this week are definitely two of my favorites that will be repeated again and again.

Smothered Chicken Breasts

Beef and Bean Burritos

The best and most long-lasting feasts come when we are feeding on the Word, and a truth from a familiar verse can all of a sudden bring new insight into clear view. This is what happened when I read the words above from Ephesians 6:18 recently. Sometimes I slip into thinking that I need to set aside lengthier periods of time to focus on prayer for my family, for our friends, and also for our country and world. And though it is good to do so, it doesn't happen often for me. I am so easily interrupted by other thoughts or other needs to be cared for. 

I was greatly encouraged with this glimpse into the heart of prayer ... and need to be reminded again and again. We can have a spirit of prayer at all times, in the midst of our daily life, whenever a need comes to our mind. We can focus our heart on staying alert all through our days, whatever we are doing. And can pause our minds and hearts to bring these concerns to Jesus. Joining in with the ongoing prayers that are always going on from His Spirit within, interceding for us and through us. For me, it often includes picking up my daily planner, and jotting down the prayer need on my daily page, or also sometimes in the special prayer section I keep in the planner, as well. In the midst of daily living, praying at all times. Such a treasure and a privilege ... one of our highest callings as followers of Jesus.