My Sourdough Journey
My sourdough journey began on November 20, 2025. My cardiologist planted the sourdough seed in December when she recommended I consider making the switch not only to less processed breads (which I already opted for), but specifically to sourdough, because of its lower impact on the body's glycemic response.
Naively, I thought that picking up a loaf of sourdough at my local Publix was the equivalent to real sourdough. Little did I know that the true essence of sourdough comes from the powers of fermentation. After our annual Christmas trek to visit my husband's family in Mobile, I began to learn the subtler nuances and art of sourdough baking. My sister-in-law, off and on, bakes loaves for her family using a starter she got from a friend, and, by fate, my daughter’s roommate at the time was into baking sourdough, using a starter her father had begun during the pandemic. They patiently answered questions and allowed themselves to be ambushed by images of my less than glowing early attempts.
Although I seriously questioned my sanity picking up a new hobby during the school year, I ultimately decided to dive right in and embrace a new skill. Never shying away from a challenge, I decided to test the waters and create a starter from scratch, and so Noel was born!
I cannot lie that the ups and downs had me pulling my hair out at times and wanting to throw in the kitchen towel, but the majority of me was committed to making my efforts come to fruition. Partly, I loved the feeling of being back in my college science lab and feeding my nerdy little heart each time that I fed Noel.
Once I felt like Noel was off and running, I started baking loaves, and well, I only thought creating a starter was the challenge. The real challenge was in the bulk ferment. I found that “To be or not to be?” was not the question. It was “over-proofed or under-proofed,” and everyone on the internet had an opinion.
Two variables helped me turn the corner. First, understanding the chemistry between temperature and percent rise, and finally, that a strong starter is paramount. Noel didn’t really have her full strength for three dedicated months, during which I diligently fed her varying ratios with a 50:50 blend of wheat/all-purpose flour, water, and starter, followed by vigorous stirring for at least 2 minutes. She eventually spent part of her life (as she still does) in the fridge, since I usually only get to bake once a week. Once these variances were in place, successful loaves became far more consistent and plentiful.
