Kneading into the Rhythm: My First Few Weeks of Sourdough Baking

So if you're still on the sourdough journey with me from my last post, then (hopefully) you've been anticipating how it's going....so here I am to give you just that! This week, I’m sharing my fails, lessons learned, and why sometimes you just have to push through—because even when you think you’ve messed it up, you might still end up with a gorgeous loaf!

And speaking of ‘messing it up....

Proofing, Shaping, Hoping

Like I mentioned in my last post—having a strong, happy starter is key when it comes to baking sourdough. If your starter isn’t quite ready yet, no stress! There are actually tons of fun (and tasty) things you can make with it in the meantime—think pancakes, crackers, muffins... basically, excuses to play with flour.

But once that starter is good and bubbly, it’s go time. Time to bake a loaf! I snapped some pics along the way—from the starter in action, to the first mix, proofing, shaping, and then the final bake. Slide to see the whole process!

Believe it or not, the loaf in the photo above was actually over-proofed—but it still turned out so good! My advice? Bake it anyway. You never know what kind of delicious surprise you’ll end up with. Worst case, you make focaccia or pizza dough instead. It’s all part of the fun.

And speaking of fun, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that sourdough has this sneaky way of spreading—kind of like a delicious, doughy virus. Before I knew it, I had roped a couple of people into joining me on this wild, flour-filled adventure!

Join the Crumb Cult: I’ve Created a Monster (or Two)

I got curious about sourdough about a year ago and definitely kicked myself when I let my starter die. But I’m so glad I started it back up—and now, I’ve got two more people joining me on this fun experiment! We swap stories and send pictures of our dough like proud parents… or like people who have no idea what we’re doing.

Isn’t it crazy how something as simple as water and flour can bring us together? With my new sourdough squad in tow, I’ve learned that the best part isn’t just the bread—it’s getting your hands messy and having fun with the dough

The Joy of Playing with Dough

I once heard someone say that sourdough is the adult version of playing with slime—and honestly, it might be the truest thing I’ve ever heard. There’s something so satisfying about stretching, folding, and shaping the dough. It’s hands-on, a little messy, and therapeutic!

Now that I’ve gotten into a rhythm, I actually look forward to baking days. There’s nothing better than pulling a fresh loaf out of the oven—and the possibilities for mix-ins are endless. Think herbs, cheese, dried fruit, roasted garlic, even chocolate. I’m only just getting started...

I jumped on the viral croissant sourdough trend, which means adding butter to the dough during the last two stretch-and-folds to create those flaky, buttery layers—just like a croissant. (Seriously, why didn’t I think of this before??) And let me tell you, it might be my favorite bake yet. Flaky, buttery, slightly tangy...

Was it perfect? Nope. I over-proofed this one too (are you sensing a theme here?), but honestly, it still came out delicious. Crispy edges, soft layers, and that sourdough depth that makes it feel just a little extra special.

The photos below show how it turned out—and yes, I already want to make it again. This one’s definitely going into the regular rotation.

So as you see my sourdough journey’s been full of “well, that happened” moments, but it just makes me want to bake more loaves! From over-proofed loaves to buttery croissant dough and all the crazy mix-ins in between, every bake’s been a little adventure.

If you’re thinking about jumping in yourself, just do it! Get messy, make mistakes, and bake the heck out of it. And hey—if you’ve got a funny story, a favorite recipe, or just want to show off your crumb pics, hit me up in the comments or tag me on social. I wanna see what you’re making!

Here’s to more dough, more laughs, and more tasty wins ahead. Stay tuned because I think a cheesy loaf is calling my name....

Stay crusty, my friends,

Shannon