Getting Started with Sourdough!

 Finally sitting down with my notes and the class recording from the Lavonne Academy, Bangalore — what a wonderful deep-dive into the art of sourdough baking. Their online class was packed with insights, and now it’s time to put it into practice… starting with the starter! 🌾✨

📖 Step 1: Making Your Sourdough Starter

A good starter is the heart of every sourdough loaf — alive, active, and full of character.

Here are a few key pointers from the class:

🔹 Use unbleached, whole wheat or all-purpose flour for best results.

🔹 Stick to filtered or boiled & cooled water — chlorine can hinder fermentation.

🔹 Feed it daily and be patient — it takes time to grow wild yeast naturally.

🔹 Look for bubbles, rise, and a tangy smell to know it’s active!

🥣 Basic Sourdough Starter Recipe:

Day 1:

• ½ cup flour
• ¼ cup water
• Mix in a clean glass jar until smooth. Cover loosely.
  
  Days 2–7:
  
  
• Discard half the mixture
• Add ½ cup flour + ¼ cup water daily
• Mix well. Watch it bubble and rise as your natural yeast develops!

In 7 days (sometimes sooner!), you’ll have a healthy, bubbly starter ready to bake.

So excited to continue this journey — and eventually bake a crusty, golden sourdough loaf from scratch!

Huge thanks to Lavonne for making it feel doable and delicious.