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No doubt. Sourdough is having a moment. A big moment. I predicted that one of the food trends of 2020 would be sourdough. I was right. In fact, I was really right. What I didn’t predict was that we would be facing a pandemic – one that has left most of us with ample time on our hands. Time, it seems, that has been put to creative use in the form of natural leaven.

I can’t say I’m the least bit upset by this. Of course, I’d rather the world not be dealing with a pandemic or the economic and familial stress that comes with it. However, it’s been exciting to see how many of you are baking more and spending quality time in the kitchen either with your families or for your families (not saying you didn’t do this before…just that more of it is a good thing!).

Michael and I have had a sourdough starter for a while. And I have a slight confession: I’m rarely the one who uses it. He’s been passionate about sourdough baking for some time before me so I’ve dabbled in different baking avenues. But it was about time that changed and no better time than a pandemic to kick me into gear.

I’d tried my hand at a sourdough cake and didn’t love the results. It was dry, and the flavor didn’t wow me. I didn’t do much with the starter after that. Perhaps I was inspired (or perhaps I’m merely being a copycat after seeing all the sourdough love on Instagram…yep, probably that), but it seemed silly that I hadn’t made a traditional sourdough loaf with all the things I have baked. So I set out to do just that.

The images you see in this post are the result of that endeavor, and I can officially say it. I’ve caught the sourdough bug. It was SO satisfying to make (even if it did take 3 days), and I barely had the patience for the loaves to bake to see how my scoring would turn out. But yes, it was all worth it, and I think this is the first of many loaves I’ll be making. That said, I’ve been following many on the sourdough scene for a while, and I wanted to share what tutorial I ended up following as well as all the other resources and bakers out there who I’ve leaned on for inspiration and tips. So here goes!

Getting Started: Sourdough Starter

RESOURCE: foodbod Sourdough

While we already had a sourdough starter, Elaine’s blog is where I would turn if I were going to start one from scratch. She has a way of demystifying the sourdough starter process and does a fantastic job of addressing “what ifs” with starter. She also discusses how to look after your starter and what to do to boost your starter if it starts to get sluggish.

On top of that, she has a master recipe that I’m eager to try as well as many other recipes on her site. Her first book all about sourdough releases this autumn – Whole Grain Sourdough at Home. Below are links to Elaine’s master recipe plus a few additional recipes of hers I think sound delicious to try!

• Elaine’s Master Sourdough Bread Recipe
• Master Recipe Focaccia
• Buttermilk Sourdough
• Sourdough Rolls
• Rustic Easy Sourdough Rolls – No shaping required!
• Sourdough Naan Breads
• Bee Pollen Sourdough – (How unique does this sound? Now to get my hands on some bee pollen to try this!)

To make the perfect sourdough bread:

RESOURCE: ful-filled Basic Sourdough Bread Guide

Bella has been a long-time Instagram follow of mine, and I was thrilled when she published her Basic Sourdough Bread Guide. She’s been making loaves for years, and this blog post is so thoughtfully written for the beginner loaf maker. Her guide was the one I utilized to make my first loaves that you see in this post and was so easy to follow. I especially love her list of tools and equipment you need to get started as well as the videos she includes to show each step of the process. While I’m eager to try to the master recipes of other bakers and bloggers, this one will stay in my arsenal as my go-to.

For shaping your sourdough bread and utilizing different flours:

RESOURCE: The Perfect Loaf

Maurizio is an engineer-turned-baker and has written a host of guides to help the beginner sourdough baker. I particularly like his shaping guides!

• Shaping a Baguette
• Shaping a Batard
• Shaping a Boule
• Shaping a Pan Loaf

He also has an collection of loaf recipes that utilize a variety of different flours from spelt, einkorn, rye and whole wheat to other recipes featuring nuts and seeds. You can see his delicious creations over on his Instagram feed and check out some of his scrumptious recipes below:

• Beginner’s Sourdough Bread
• Oat Porridge Sourdough
• Sourdough Ciabatta
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
• Sourdough Babka

For sourdough bread scoring inspiration and techniques:

RESOURCE: Sour Flour

Look no further than Sour Flour for scoring leaven heaven! Brittany started Sour Flour in January of last year as a way to get through harsh New England winters. A year later, she has amassed quite the sourdough community and will also be releasing her first cookbook in 2021. She showcases her loaves and scoring techniques on her bright and beautiful Instagram feed and wrote a fabulously helpful blog post called Tools for Scoring Sourdough. She also started the Sour Flour shop which offers a specially curated sourdough kit. I plan to try her master recipe (Ok…let’s be clear. I want to try everyone’s master recipe!) plus a few of the delicious sourdough recipes on her blog.

• Sour Flour’s Master Sourdough Recipe
• Sourdough Croissant Bread Pudding
• Sourdough Fougasse
• Sourdough Bagels
• Sourdough Challah

For the technical side of sourdough and for visual learners:

RESOURCE: Fullproof Baking

Fullproof baking is a new discovery for me, and I’m so glad I did. Kristen is a home baker based in Chicago, and she has oodles of resources on her Youtube channel. She discusses many of the technical sides of sourdough in more detail than anyone I’ve seen so far, and she also has great resources on how to achieve a certain crumb. For anyone who would rather watch a video than read a blog, she’s one to follow! A few of her delicious (and unique!) recipes below.

• Basic Open Crumb Sourdough Bread
• 50% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
• Buckwheat Pancakes Made with Sourdough Discard
• Cheddar Biscuits Made with Sourdough Discard
• Honey Oat Sourdough Pullman Loaf (eager to try this one!)

For unique sourdough recipes:

RESOURCE: Artisan Bryan

I’ve been following Bryan for quite a while over on Instagram, and I find his recipes so inventive and unique! He is also publishing his first book this year New World Sourdough and was also a judge for Food Network’s Chopped Sweets. Be inspired by a few of his creative recipes below!

• Pan de Coco (such a signature recipe of his!)
• Sourdough Pizza Dough
• Sourdough English Muffins
• Sourdough Bread Croutons
• Easy Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough

Did you make it all the way to here yet? If you’re still reading, bravo! Leave a comment and tell me where you’re at in your sourdough adventures and which recipe you’re most excited to try!

Did you enjoy these sourdough recipes and resources? Check out my other recipe collections below:

• 35 Waffle Recipes
• 75 Citrus Desserts
• Twenty-Five Fruit and Nut Pies for Thanksgiving
• Twenty Thanksgiving Bread & Roll Recipes
• Thirty Pumpkin Pie Recipes
• Autumn Cake Recipe Collection | Baby #2 Update
• Baking with Ginger
• Ten Recipes to Inspire Baking with Yeast
• A Collection of Muffin Recipes

If you enjoy a baking challenge and experimenting in the kitchen, be sure to join my weekend baking prompt! You’ll get an email every other week with an ingredient, technique or category to inspire you to bake. You can then share your creation over on Instagram tagging me and the hashtag #TERbakingprompt.