Sourdough is a miraculous, natural creation made with just water, flour, heat and time. Meaning it doesn’t need store-bought yeast to rise and instead is made with fermented water and flour.
My love for sourdough started about a year ago as sourdough bread is a delicious, healthy, nutrient-rich food that I love to use for avocado toast and much more.
But while I was a fan, I only ever bought loaves from the store and never made the bread myself because, to be honest, the process of making the bread is lengthy and it kind of scared me. It includes making a sourdough starter from scratch with a lot of flour, water, and attention.
But while I was a fan, I only ever bought loaves from the store and never made the bread myself because, to be honest, the process of making the bread is lengthy and it kind of scared me.
— Avery Michalowski '26
However, eventually my curiosity got the best of me and I tried to make my own! Long story short, I made three failed starters (let me be the first to tell you, sourdough is not for the weak), and I was losing hope.
That was when I found out about dehydrated starters, specifically from Ballerina Farm, the queen of sourdough. Of course, I had to get the whole kit…so $89 and a few days later I was ready to try again.
The whole rehydration process took five consecutive mornings of “feeding” (the process of adding fresh flour and water to the starter so it can ferment and grow). The mixture required filtered* room temperature water, the dehydrated starter and flour. I also had to follow meticulous instructions outlined in the pamphlet provided in the kit.
After five days of rehydrating, I had successfully made an active starter!
A few days later I made my first batch of bread. A long but very rewarding process. Currently, I am making a single sourdough bagel to have for breakfast tomorrow! There are so many possibilities with sourdough, I hope you try it someday.
To keep the starter active, I now could feed the starter regularly (currently I am feeding it every morning).
After reading this article, you may be thinking, “Why sourdough?” Especially if it’s so much work. It supports gut health, is naturally low in gluten, full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, is easy to digest and much more. If this all sounds like gibberish to you, it tastes good!
So you don’t have to make the same mistakes as me, that is all you need to know about sourdough including my favorite tips and tricks if you want to make your own. Best of luck!
*room temperature, filtered water is essential because cooler temperatures slow the fermentation process and affect the activity of the starter. Possible chlorine in filtered water can kill the starter so I use filtered, bottled water.
