It’s no secret that my latest obsession is all things SOURDOUGH! Nick & I (and now Charli!) have always loved sourdough bread – so when our local farmer’s market that we normally get sourdough from closed for the season, it seemed like the perfect time to pick it up as a hobby and make our own!

It is quite the process & journey, which is why I think so many people love it. It’s truly a labor of love, and there’s no better feeling than taking out a fluffy, crispy loaf for your friends and family to enjoy. It’s the best thing to gift!

With that being said…to get to that perfectly fluffy, crispy loaf…I’ve learned that you have to make a lot of mistakes and make a lot of bad loaves first. One thing I love about sourdough making, is that there is always something new to learn and try. I feel like I am always growing and getting better – and the best part is, there are an ENDLESS amount of recipes to try and experiment with!

I think one of the most important things, is getting a solid & healthy starter. I purchased my starter from one of my favorite Sourdough Instagram Accounts – Everything Sourdough! She sells a dehydrated starter on her Etsy page, and that’s the one I’ve been working with. I’ve had zero issues and I’ve been getting some GREAT outcomes! You can also borrow some live starter from a friend, or even make your own from scratch. I love this cookbook for all things sourdough.

From there, it’s off to the races! I took me weeks to get a good loaf, so don’t get discouraged. Enjoy the process! I still have a long way to go – I have by no means perfected it, but I’m really happy with the quality of my loaves and I feel like I’ve gotten in a really great rhythm with the schedule & process. It’s overwhelmign at first, but you’ll get the hang of it! I’ll include a photo of my recipe/process below if you want to try it out – along with all of my must-haves to get started, links included! Here’s a downloadable PDF if you want to print the recipe:

My Sourdough Starter // this starter comes dehydrated and includes great instructions on how to activate, feed & maintain it!
Sourdough Starter Jar Kit
Paper Bread Bag
Digital Kitchen Scale
Round Banneton Proofing Basket
Dough Scoring Razor
Le Creuset Iron Dutch Oven ($420) // this obviously is the best quality!
7 Qt. Iron Dutch Oven ($64) // a more affordable option to start with!
Cooling Rack
Bread Knife
King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose Flour