Sourdough at Our House
Sourdough is part of the rhythm of our week, all year long, and I’ve made it easy. It’s better for our gut, it doesn’t leave us feeling bloated, and we have a hard time eating store-bought bread now. It’s also so much fun to play around with.
This page gathers everything we’ve written about it: keeping a starter going (even when you travel), an easy loaf that fits a real schedule, and our favorite ways to use up discard.
Start wherever you are.
New to sourdough? Read these first.
Sourdough and store-bought bread may look alike, but one is built slowly by wild yeast and time. The good news is that sourdough is forgiving. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be good, and every loaf teaches you something.
Sourdough Quick Reference + Easy Recipe
How sourdough differs from store bought bread, plus the easy loaf we make most.
Demystifying Sourdough Bread Baking: Tips & Tricks
Start simple and don’t worry about getting it perfect.
Sourdough Bread Really Can Be Easy (and Fit Your Schedule Too)
A loaf that works around real life and fits into a busy week.
Keeping a starter happy, home or away
A starter cares more about conditions than rules. Here’s how we keep ours going, and what we do with it when we travel, including the trip it took with us to London.
Don’t toss that discard
Every one of these has a full recipe card, and most work with or without discard.
No Knead Sourdough Discard Crackers
Crisp, easy and a great first discard recipe.
Easy Sourdough Discard English Muffins
Browned on the griddle, no mixer needed.
Simple Sourdough Discard Focaccia
Squares of focaccia with fresh rosemary.
Sourdough Discard Scones
Made for a cup of tea, with or without discard.
Heart-Shaped Sourdough Pop Tarts
Pink glaze, sprinkles and a little nostalgia.
Stories from our sourdough kitchen
Sourdough questions we get
What is sourdough discard?
It’s the portion of starter you pour off before a feeding so the jar doesn’t keep growing. It still has flavor and a little rise left in it, which is why it works so well in crackers, scones and muffins.
What do I do with my starter when I travel?
It depends on how long you’ll be gone and when you’ll bake again. I don’t use one feeding method for every trip. I choose based on whether I’m baking soon, how long I’ll be away, or whether the starter is coming with me. Here’s exactly how I feed mine before a trip.
Do I need to measure everything exactly?
No. Sourdough is forgiving. Once you know the consistency you’re looking for, you can adjust the flour and water by feel. If you like to measure, our quick reference has the cups-to-grams conversions we actually use.
Pull up a chair.
A letter from our place to yours, every other Thursday, with a recipe or preserving tip From the Farm Kitchen.