About six months ago I finally decided to start baking sourdough—something I had been thinking about for years but always postponed. It felt like one of those hobbies that would take too much time and attention, especially with two kids at home. Once I started, though, it surprised me. It didn’t feel overwhelming. Instead it became a quiet, steady rhythm in my day that replaced store-bought loaves with something more personal and satisfying.
I began with a strong, two-hundred-year-old starter I found online, and that gave me confidence early on. Sourdough turned out to be more forgiving than I feared: it asks for a little planning and a few basic tools, but not constant hands-on effort. Once you find a routine that fits your schedule, it fits into your life with ease.
My Sourdough Routine
Most evenings I feed the starter before bed. By mid-morning it’s active and bubbly, which gives me a flexible window to mix dough when the morning allows. That gentle predictability—knowing the starter will be ready—makes baking feel manageable alongside family life.
The first loaf I baked followed a basic artisan sourdough approach from a recipe I admired. I braced myself for a dense or flat result, but what came out of the oven was golden and crisp on the outside with a pleasantly soft, airy crumb inside. It wasn’t perfect, but it was far better than anything I could buy. Since then I’ve stuck with that base method, making small adjustments such as adding some whole wheat flour for extra flavor and structure.
The Recipe I Use Most Often
- 100g active sourdough starter
- 390g warm water
- 150g whole wheat flour
- 350g bread flour
- 10g salt
I keep the method simple: mix the starter and water, add the flours and let them hydrate for a short autolyse, then incorporate salt and perform a series of gentle folds during the bulk fermentation. After shaping, I either proof at room temperature or chill the dough overnight for a more developed flavor. I bake the loaves in a covered pot to trap steam at the start, then uncover near the end so the crust can brown and crisp.
Why I Keep Baking
Fresh sourdough opens so many simple pleasures. A plain slice with good butter is often all I need. On busier mornings I turn a slice into my comfort go-to: smashed avocado, a fried egg, and a little chili oil. Some days I recreate memories—like a bruschetta we had in San Diego—right at my kitchen counter, topping warm bread with ripe tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil.
Sourdough has become a small ritual that centers me. It’s a slow and satisfying process that encourages patience and presence. The routine is flexible enough to fit around family life but rewarding enough to be worth the attention it requires.
Practical Tips
Keep your starter healthy by feeding it on a regular schedule that suits your baking rhythm. If you bake several times a week, maintain an active starter at room temperature; if you bake less often, you can store it in the fridge and feed it less frequently. Give yourself permission to experiment—the dough will tell you what it needs through feel and look. With each bake you’ll learn to read the bubbles, the elasticity of the dough, and the right moment to shape and proof.
Most importantly, don’t worry about perfection. Each loaf teaches you something new, and the everyday loaves—rustic, imperfect, and deeply satisfying—often become the ones you reach for the most. Those simple, familiar moments of fresh bread are why I keep baking.