The popularity of sourdough baking has exploded in recent years. A few years ago I had barely heard of it – rye, spelt and wholemeal were my ‘healthy’ loaves of choice. 

So what changed to make it so on trend? And is it really ‘easy to bake’?

The growth of sourdough baking

The recent pandemic with the reality of empty shop shelves inspired many homemakers to ditch the natural yeast and try their hand at their first loaf of sourdough bread.

There has also been a growing trend towards slow living and many families are choosing to return to their roots and rediscover the joys of skills handed down from past generations.

Then there’s the pure deliciousness of a sourdough loaf!

Let’s face it, few can resist the crunch of a golden brown slice with its chewy, airy centre, especially when it’s smothered in butter or laden with a slice of cheese and pickled onions! 

But at up to $12 a pop, I couldn’t afford for it to be top of my shopping list (except maybe on the weekends…)

I had honestly thought that I would never have the time or the brain space to add bread making to our regular schedule. 

The ‘mystery’ of sourdough

Understandably, sourdough baking remains a mystery to most people. Despite the health benefits and the budget savings, sourdough can feel overwhelming and hard to perfect. 

To start with, there’s the curious vocabulary: bulk fermentation, surface tension, the ‘float test’, and how best to do stretches and folds. 

Abandoning the familiar and reassuring sachets of yeast in favour of wild yeast caught from the air also feels kind of risky. 

Plus don’t tell me I’m the only mumma to feel reluctant to add another living, breathing responsibility to the family! 🙃

Then there are the nagging doubts:

Will my dough rise? Do I have an active starter ready? What’s the best baking schedule? What if my loaves just come out as dense bricks and all the hard work is for nothing?

I’m here to tell you that it IS possible to get pretty good at fresh sourdough bread. So if you are keen to try your hand at homemade sourdough bread here are a few tips from a beginner’s journey.

How to get started with sourdough 

All sourdough begins with a glass jar, all purpose flour and water. A gluten free starter is another option, but I haven’t attempted that yet. Although our family is largely gluten intolerant, no one is coeliac so it hasn’t been something I’ve needed to explore.

I use a Norwex silicone lid to cover my jar and then follow the steps here or here.

The first time you mix your starter can feel a bit daunting, but trust the process and within a couple of weeks you’ll have your own homemade sourdough starter ready to use.

For me, the challenges came when I was trying to work out the fermentation process and the timing of the baking process.

But is it as complicated as we think?

What if you could be confident in a system and a routine that worked around a busy family, long work hours and the sluggish forgetfulness induced by a newborn’s haphazard sleep patterns?

I was seeking the perfect loaf but the journey took a while to get there!

A beginner’s sourdough journey

My own sourdough journey began a few years ago when visiting friends. 

I was intrigued by the fact that the delicious, dukkah-encrusted squares I couldn’t stop eating had been mixed DAYS earlier. What was this sourdough sorcery?!

So I asked lots of questions and listened attentively to descriptions of timing ‘stretching and folding’ (whatever that was!) and bake time. 

I was determined to learn more. 

With my enthusiasm at an all time high, I asked for a jar of starter and gave it a go. 

Starting… and failing

Unfortunately though, my initial excitement and genuine love of sourdough were not enough to sustain me through the coming days. 

I did make one lovely boule, but then the uncertainty over whether my starter was still healthy and strong and not slightly stinky and a loaf away from an unwell tummy, drove me to cut my losses and I ditched the whole jar. 

This really knocked my confidence. The easiest way to success is to learn from your mistakes and try again, but it all felt too hard. 

Fast forward 18 months and I tried again. This time with my own sourdough starter. I felt inspired, upbeat and ready to push through any difficulties. 

But life got busier and then we moved house and I had a baby so again my sourdough dreams fell flat. 

By the end of 2023 I was ready to give it yet another go and this time I was determined not to fail. 

I had inadvertently narrowed my sourdough problems down and as I committed to practising and finding my own rhythm, I made slow but steady progress. 

I now bake daily with an easy sourdough bread recipe and I am loving watching my children build their skills too.

What have I learnt?

1. Sourdough isn’t nearly as hard as I thought
2. Like most things, practice, patience, and confidence are key
3. Don’t get bogged down with all the references to timing in a recipe. Get your head around one recipe and perfect it! Then move on.
4. The temperature of your kitchen actually plays a big role in how strong your starter will get – a warm place really helps!
5. Don’t be afraid to start again if you fail – it really is worth it if you can master the skills!
6. Flour is cheap and even the ‘worst’ sourdough loaves are edible! Surely next time will be better!
7. You don’t need expensive equipment or even a stand mixer or a baking stone! Just a large mixing bowl, a proofing basket and a sharp razor blade will do.
8. Sourdough baking is a skill that enables you to bring joy to so many people! Who doesn’t love the gift of a great loaf of bread!

Are you ready to get started?

If you’re keen to give sourdough a go at home, don’t get stuck in a feeling of overwhelm!

With an active sourdough starter, some basic skills and a willingness to have a go, you’re half way there!

Read more about my sourdough journey at this blog post – ‘No fail Sourdough in 3 easy steps’ and comment below if you have any questions!