Sourdough for Beginners

Here you will find my most helpful tips to get started with sourdough. If you have looked into making sourdough at all, it is my guess that you read the first few paragraphs of recipe and got lost in all of the terms and logistics of baking sourdough. It is my hope that once you go through this blog post that you will have a little better understanding, and a clear direction to dive in! So let's get to it.

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Supplies:

I am going to start with a list of things I have found very helpful as I have baked sourdough.

You will need:

• Sourdough Starter- you can make your own but I highly suggest getting a dehydrated one and simply rehydrating it for a quicker start. I got this kit from Cultures for Health, it came with a dehydrated starter, banneton, bread lame, and scale all in one. You can use my code MILLI15X for a discount.

• Jar of some kind to keep your starter in. I like the weck jars. I have a small 1/2 liter tulip jar one to keep my starter in and the bigger 1 liter tulip jar to make my leaven in. I ordered them straight from the Weck Jars website to get more bang for my buck.

• Dutch Oven- I have a few dutch ovens, some really expensive ones and some very affordable ones and I will be honest, they all perform the same. The one I use most often is this one. I like that it is oval so I can bake oval and round loaves. I got it in black because baking at extremely high temps has completely discolored my white Le Creuset dutch oven. Oof.

• Food Scale- sourdough is most often measured in grams so you will need a good scale to measure your ingredients.

• Proofing Baskets I like these ones, they are 7 inch and seem to give me the tall pretty loaf that I like. I also have this one from Better Basics Milling and it is my very favorite.

Resources

Okay so now you have your tools, your starter is active and ready, now what? Instead of writing the process out and reinventing the wheel, I am going to link the exact resources I use regularly.

• The first thing you need to do is go download this free e-book from Better Basics Milling and read it. Scroll to the bottom of the page and subscribe to the email list and you will get the Sourdough 101 e-book. You will finish the e-book confident to start making sourdough.

• Then go read this blog post. I find myself using the method/recipe in this post most often. I double the recipe and make two loaves at once. When I'm using this method I make my leaven before I go to bed. I use 20g starter 200g water 200g flour. Then I follow this recipe.

• I also have this cookbook from The Food Nanny, it is a great resource for using your discard and baking many more things besides just sourdough bread. It also has a sourdough sandwich loaf recipe that my family absolutely loves.

That's it!

• I know there is so much information out there. Trust me, I sifted through it all. Hopefully this simplifies it a little an saves you the time searching for what you need. Happy baking! Tag me over on instagram in your bakes, I love to see what you are doing!

Rehydrating "May" Your Sourdough Starter

Below are the instructions to rehydrate your dehydrated starter that you purchased from me.

1. Add a packet of starter to 1 Tbsp. flour and 1 Tbsp. of room temperature unchlorinated water in a quart-sized glass jar and stir thoroughly. Cover the jar with a coffee filter or breathable material secured with rubber band and culture the starter in a warm place (70-80 degrees F) for 12-24 hours.

2. After 12-24 hours, feed the starter with an additional 2 Tbsp. of flour and 2 Tbsp water. Stir thoroughly.

• Your starter should have a consistency of pancake batter. Add flour or water to adjust as necessary.

3. After 12-24 hours, feed the starter with an additional 1/4 cup of flour and 1/4 cup water. Stir thoroughly.

4. After 12-24 hours, feed the starter with an additional 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup water. Stir thoroughly.

5. After 12-24 hours, discard down to 1/2 cup starter and then feed the starter with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup flour.

6. Repeat step 5 every 12-24 hours for 3-7 days. Do this until the starter has the consistency of pancake batter and is bubbling regularly within a few hours of feeding. That is when your starter is activated and ready to use!

Maintaining Your Starter

1. If you are keeping your starter on your counter for frequent baking, feed your starter every 24 hours. I recommend a feeding ration of 1:5:5 this would equal 10g of starter, 50g flour, and 50g water.

2. If you are not baking regularly, you can keep your starter in the fridge. It goes in to hibernation and you won't need to feed it as often. Feed it every 5-7 days just like you would keeping it on your counter, using a 1:5:5 ratio.

Homemade Sourdough Pumpkin Bread

As the leaves turn golden and the air becomes crisp, there's no better way to celebrate the fall season than with the warm, comforting aroma of freshly baked pumpkin bread. This recipe combines the tangy goodness of sourdough with the rich, earthy flavors of pumpkin, creating a delightful treat that's perfect for breakfast or a cozy afternoon snack. So, roll up your sleeves, grab your apron, and let's get baking!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups canned pumpkin puree

• 1 cup sourdough discard

• 1/2 cup liquid coconut oil

• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 4 large eggs

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp allspice seasoning

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Pumpkin Bread Dough:

2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and the spices.

3. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are okay. If desired, fold in chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips.

4. Let the Dough Rest: Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest at room temperature for 1-2 hours. This allows the sourdough to work its magic and develop flavor.

5. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9x5-inch loaf pans.

6. Bake: Pour the pumpkin bread dough into the prepared loaf pans. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

7. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy your homemade sourdough pumpkin bread with a slather of butter or cream cheese!

There's something truly special about making your own sourdough pumpkin bread from scratch. The combination of the tangy sourdough discard and the comforting flavors of pumpkin and spices make this bread a fall favorite. Share it with friends and family, and savor the cozy moments this delicious bread brings to your table. Happy baking!