Where Do I Begin?
Does the idea of sourdough overwhelm you? You’ve scoured the internet, joined the facebook groups, watched the youtube videos and yet it feels like you are even more confused than when you first started.
I was in your same position at one time, I understand how intimidating the process can be. Through my own journey of sourdough I’ve learned a lot and I am still on a journey of perfecting this craft. In this post I hope to encourage you with a few key thoughts when it comes to starting your journey in sourdough.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
I’m sure through your extensive research on tik-tok you have seen there’s just about 100 different recipes and techniques that people use to make sourdough. When you are just starting out, don’t get distracted with finding the BEST recipes and fancy tools. Find a simple recipe, learn the basics and build from there. The beautiful thing about sourdough is that what may work for one person may not work for another. You are going to have plenty of time to learn the craft through trial and error, take time to enjoy the simple process in the beginning. Get really good at learning the basics of feeding your starter and scoring your dough and then the rest will come.
DON’T FORGET YOUR WHY
Early on when I began making sourdough I would get so bogged down with the little things and begin to feel myself getting overwhelmed. I would get frustrated and then feel like as soon as I got better at something, my starter would go bad or I just couldn’t get my crumb to be perfect. I realized in that moment that I had forgotten my why. Why did I start making sourdough? For many of you, your why may be different, but whatever the why is, don’t forget it when you feel stressed or discouraged. That why is what’s going to keep you going!
YOU CAN STILL COMEBACK FROM A MESS UP
One of the best things I learned through making sourdough was that even my greatest mess ups could be redeemed in some way. I remember one time specifically, every time I went to bake a loaf they would turn out flat and for a couple days I couldn’t figure out why. I had made probably 3 loaves and they all were as flat as a pancake and I was getting so frustrated. I remember standing in my kitchen at one point and getting ready to trash those ugly flat little loaves in the trash and give up for the day, but then remembering something I heard a few weeks prior. I was watching a baker talk about old bread and he said that you should never throw out a loaf of bread because you can always use it for something else. In that moment I took a step back from the trash can, refocused and decided that I could still salvage what I thought was a complete and utter disaster into something that could still nourish my family. So I got to work, wiped the slate clean and was able to come up with a yummy dish that my family loved and they were none the wiser.
It’s pretty funny how the process of sourdough can be an accurate representation of life. When we complicate things in life it only adds stress. When we forget why we do something we loose the joy. When we think we’ve messed up and there’s no coming back, there is always a way to come back when we slow down and are determined to find a solution. Sourdough has taught me a lot of patience through the years, and has reminded me that this process can be so special.
