Making a first loaf of sourdough makes one feel like they’ve just made their mark on the world as as a graduate from Hogwarts. I started out with childlike enthusiasm, creating and maintaining the starter, then freaking out at its first mold breakout, praying for it to still be okay, watching the starter peak so suddenly and not being prepared to make a loaf, then devoting a day of making an absolute mess of my kitchen, completely winging the baking process which I didn’t know was a very exact process of incorporating copious amounts of moisture, and more heat than my oven was capable of producing. The fact that it came out looking like normal-ish bread was a huge win and made the chaos all worthwhile. For those who watched the process in my stories last week, thanks so much for rooting for my first sourdough baby!

Now that I have the starter in the fridge, I’ll keep working on my personal method with the tools available to me at home. I’m really fascinated by fermentation and glad to be learning more ways of how to incorporating it into my food-making practice.

Peek at the peak of the starter the night before baking, the feeding process, and the heart-shaped nibble of approval from Qi as the loaf was fresh out of the oven and left on the counter to cool down. Done right behind my back in the same room. She must get it from her dad.