What have you been up to during the coronavirus quarantine? I hear about all these people having extra time to pick up hobbies, binge TV shows, read, bake, etc. I don’t think people with kids have this new-found “extra time” thing. If anything, I feel like I almost have less time with everyone home. Not to mention, additional tasks like having to find activities and projects to teach Caleb and keep the boys busy.

I do have a little bit of downtime…the difference is, it’s not anything different from pre-quarantine days. It’s the time during naps and after the boys are asleep for the night. During these downtimes, I enjoy cooking and baking; something I’ve always found joy in doing even before kids and the coronavirus. And I’m so happy to hear some people are finding enjoyment in the kitchen now! In fact, I hear that bread and banana bread making has become a popular activity. Yay (except for the fact that finding flour has become a bit difficult).

I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I have been making bread for a while now. I started with instant/dry-active yeasts, but last spring a friend shared her sourdough starter and started exploring the world of sourdough. Honestly, using a sourdough starter is more effort but the results are fantastic and you feel so accomplished.

Another thing about sourdough is that it’s “healthier” for you than instant yeast. It makes wheat flour more digestible and it’s better for your gut since it’s known to have probiotic potential (read more here). But if you’re not ready for sourdough starter bread, then instant yeast bread is still so satisfying and scrumptious. Not to mention, it’s quicker and easier overall.

I don’t want to do yet another guide to sourdough. For one, I’m hardly an expert. I haven’t spent nearly enough time researching and understanding it all (my downtime is limited!). And secondly, there are so many out there already written by much more knowledgable bread bakers. Instead, I’m here to share the ones I have found helpful and easy to follow…and give good results!

Sourdough Basics, In My Non-Expert Words

I can’t resist, I can’t just share links…I feel I need to share a few things in my uber-simplified and non-expert way (then we’ll jump into the resources I use):

Sourdough Starter - This is what you use in place of instant or dry active yeast (you know those packets you buy in the baking aisle at the grocery store) in your bread. It takes about a week to “build” a starter and is basically a mixture of flour and water. You can “build” your own starter, ask a friend to share some of their starter, or buy it online. You need this before you can start making bread. (P.S. Guys, there are some very, very old starters out there).
Feeding the Starter - You need to feed your starter routinely, or it’ll die. Yup, die. It’s alive! Name your starter…mine is Rico. Rico Sauve. I feed Rico once a week since I bake once a week. Even if I don’t bake, I still need to feed him. Yup, or else he’ll die. To feed Rico, I weigh out my starter generally to something around 80 grams (if I’m going to make bread), then I add 80 grams water and 80 grams flour and mix it up. Then I leave him on the kitchen counter to get active. If I don’t plan on baking bread, I generally do less - maybe 40 grams or lower. I let him sit out on the counter a bit, and then put him in the refrigerator for next week. Yes, I keep my starter in the refrigerator. If you don’t do that, then you’ll need to feed it MUCH more often (as in daily probably). Oh, and whether you are baking this time or not, anything leftover (as you’ll likely have more than 80 grams) goes to the discard jar.
Active Starter for Baking - To bake the bread, you need the starter to be active (as this is how it helps the dough rise). It takes a few hours for it to get active. It’s active when it’s basically doubled in size, light and bubbly and smells yeasty. The best method to check, though, is the float test. Just take a small amount of dough and put it in water. If it floats, it’s ready. If not, let it sit out a bit more. Oh, and to go faster, you can try the oven - turn on the oven a few minutes, then turn it off and put the starter inside.
Don’t Disc the Discard - The starter that you discard is totally awesome for other things. I generally make pancakes and waffles with it. You can also make muffins and crackers!
Wait, You Need a Few Things: You probably have most of the things in your kitchen already. Bowls, saran wrap, parchment paper, a digital scale (since weighing is highly recommended in bread baking), and a dutch oven.
Now, Bake! - Find an easy recipe and bake. Or just keep feeding your starter until you’re ready.

My Favorite Resources for Sourdough

The Clever Carrot

She has a great Beginner’s Guide (here) and her beginner’s recipe is perfect if you’re starting out. I made her Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls at Christmas and they were delish!

Hostess at Heart

I haven’t used Hostess at Heart’s blog much, but her Overnight Sourdough Bread recipe was the very first one I used with my starter. It’s perfect if you’re making your first few loaves! Since she has the first recipe I made, she deserves a mention here.

Heartbeet Kitchen

This might just be my favorite site so far in the sourdough world. Her beginner’s guide is here and is helpful. You can also buy her starter for $12! I’ve tried a few of her recipes and all have been successful. I graduated to these recipes after I had a good handle on the beginner’s recipes.

Baker Bettie

There is so much to learn with sourdough! Baker Bettie has a very thorough outline of all things sourdough if you want to take the time to read up. When I bought my first banneton basket, her Banneton Basket Prep & Care video was uber helpful. I just discovered her site, so I haven’t made any of her recipes, yet, but I sure plan on it! In fact, I might start with her Easiest Sourdough Bread (No-Knead Sourdough) recipe.

Butter for All

While the layout of the site is somewhat annoying, I do like a couple of her recipes so far. My favorite is the Sweet and Soft Honey Oat Sourdough and the Light Rye Sourdough Boule turned out well.

Alexandra’s Kitchen

She is a source of knowledge in the bread world, largely known for her Peasant Bread recipe (it’s not sourdough, fyi). Her Easy Sourdough Sandwich (or Toasting) Bread does make excellent toast. I’ve also made her Simple Sourdough Focaccia.