Sourdough“Sourdough? Well, next to the Bible, sourdough is the most important possession on the frontier. You can make flapjacks and biscuits with it, patch a crack in the cabin, treat wounds, and even make brew.”
- Maggie Brendan
We aren’t experts around here, but instead of waiting for that “level up,” I have decided to bring you along with me on this learning journey!
My very first loaf, was one to be remembered… The chickens wouldn’t/couldn’t eat it, then the dogs ended up with it, and I’m sure the stone like loaf can still to this day be found in the backyard! I had so much to learn, and as I spent more time waiting for my dear “Eve” to mature, I practiced and enjoyed many, many “discard” recipes! Once Eve was ready, I baked my first true sourdough loaf and haven’t looked back. As my loaf got better and I got more confident, I began making specialty loafs, as well as expanding into other “non-loaf” recipes for my family. Time has been my biggest hurdle, and then someone said to me “Women ‘back in the day’ didn’t always have time either (to stretch and fold their dough every 30-60 min) as they were raising their babies and animals on the farm.” So I let myself relax a little and learned that Sourdough is also very forgiving, and its not near as intimidating and difficult as it seems.
Just Getting Started?
You don’t have to wait weeks for your starter to mature! We’ve done that for you and have dried “Eve” the starter and she is ready to team up with you!
If you are local you can Shop the Farmyard at Birdcage Vintage Market & Olde Towne Mall in Batesville!
If you are unable to shop local with us, Here are some of the tools we use and like the most at the Farmyard!
*contains some affiliate links
I am currently looking for a small hand size lame to see if I like one, but this is the one I currently have and offer at ‘Shop the Farmyard” The blades are sharp and the handle is very lightweight making it easy to handle and score your dough!
A dough whisk is NOT necessary for sourdough, most mixing is done most efficiently with your hands! However, I use my whisk for the first combine of ingredients for Autolyse, all other mixing is done with my hands.
Dough whisk is an awesome tool to have in the kitchen for eggs.
A dutch oven, however, is at the top of the list for non-negotiable! This is the main one I use, it comes in different colors and makes the perfect size loaf!
Be sure and have a digital scale! Not only is it more accurate, but it is super simple to just place your bowl/jar on the scale and add ingredients!
Look for one with multiple units (most sourdough recipes are in grams) and a large enough base to set a large mixing bowl!
I do all my feeding and storing in a wide mouth quart jar (Mainly because we have no shortage of them around here) with a simple wooden spoon.
King Arthur flour is what I’m partial to, its easy to find locally and always unbleached!
Many of my favorite recipes come from King Arthur!
The first recipe I was able to make around my schedule and create a good loaf is one I found from “The Pantry Mama.” I have saved the process to a highlight on Instagram, and here is the recipe and instructions… PM Simple Sourdough
The Pantry Mama website is an endless, unmatched resource for all things sourdough! *not affiliated, just a grateful student/fan