On a whim, thanks to my friend who took up sourdough bread baking, I unknowingly got on the path of sourdough baking — just a few years after everyone else did (during the pandemic).
Last July, we went to dinner, and he brought me a tiny container of sourdough starter, which (because it was summer months), basically exploded in the container by the time I came home…I’m talking I had less than 1 tablespoon amount.
I scraped what I could, put it in a jar, added water and flour as per his instructions, let it rise overnight, and started my first sourdough loaf, which with the overnight cold proofing process, led to a horrible loaf (though I did not know how bad it was at the time lol) on July 5, 2024. Here is said loaf:
I instantly knew what I had done wrong — I didn’t use the starter at its peak (all of this was gibberish to me at the time). So, immediately, I began the process again. And two days later, on July 7, this was loaf #2.
As you can see, I learned my lesson very quickly. This is very clearly, significantly more superior to its two days younger, predecessor. By the way, even the first silly looking loaf tasted just fine.
And then I managed two more loaves, with inclusions this time before I had surgery and my baking came to a temporary halt.
After a two-month break, I baked two loaves in September…
Then came another two-month break (this time because of travel) and in November I baked my first plain sourdough since July!
Cut to December, and I made four loaves in four days, which for a novice sourdough bread baker, was ridiculous and also so much fun! And this time, I gifted 3.5 of the 4!
For this next one, I gave it to my neighbor as part of his Christmas present bundle and he ended up making garlic bread with it which he gave me a slice of the same night. OMG, it was delish!
And for the final loaf of 2024, I went with this everything bagel seasoning, which made the entire apartment smell like bagels during the baking process — omg, SO devine! This is the one that I shared with a friend, the “.5” of the “3.5” I mentioned earlier.
So, I begin January 2025 with my 12th loaf! This time I did three inclusions that I thought I would really enjoy: sun-fried tomatoes, jalapeños & olives. It is delicious!
I also got to use my brand new dutch oven that the same friend, who got me into sourdough bread baking, gave me for Christmas and I am over the moon about it!
And that’s where we are… venturing further into the world of sourdough breads to see where this skill leads us!
Happy Baking & Happy Eating!
Cheers!
What I Think I Say 