How much time does sourdough baking really take?

My sourdough baking routine is one that ebbs and flows with the seasons. Sourdough isn't a rigorous thing that requires strict baking procedures to work, which is why I find it a practical thing to fit into my daily life.
Making a loaf is actually a very hands-off process for me, which is excellent for the day-to-day. When I want to spend a little more time having fun with my sourdough I usually bake some scrolls or put together an interesting pull-apart.
And just how hands-off is my sourdough baking routine?
When I want to bake, I get my starter out in the morning and feed her, to activate her. By evening she is bubbly, or sometimes sooner if it's summer.
I mix up my loaf of bread in the evening, sometimes before I start cooking dinner and sometimes just before I go to bed, the timing really isn't very important. The bread rises overnight, peaking to its maximum height. In the morning it is a simple case of a quick 5 minute knead before shaping the loaf (less than a minute) and putting it into a banneton or tin to rise. I return in a couple of hours (again depending on the season) and put the loaf in to bake. That's it.
With less than 15 minutes of hands-on time, I have fresh sourdough ready to eat by lunchtime. The bulk overnight rise/ferment means that it's done everything that sourdough is supposed to - predigested the grain, broken up the phytic acid that inhibits nutrient absorption - and it also means that the loaf doesn't take very long to rise back up again before baking.
I do have a few other sourdough routines that I do, depending on when I need the bread to be ready. But this one outlined above is the main one I use for quick, everyday bread.

3 Common Sourdough Myths You Should Ignore

 There's a bucket load of information on the internet about sourdough making, and quite a few books around on the subject too. A lot of them contain useful information, but others, as I have found from personal experience, contain some "rules" that just don't need to be applied. Today I thought I'd share some information about a few of the commonest sourdough making myths around.

Here & Now | September 2017 Link Up

Welcome to this month's Here & Now! I got quite a fright writing September up there in the title. I mean, I know it's September but when one actually has to write the word it's kind of literally right there...in your face. September means the heat will soon be here, the air will be very dry and the days will be a little hazy as people start to do burn offs and controlled (or sometimes uncontrolled!) fires.

What does September mean in your part of the world? We'd all love it if you'd join in this month's Here & Now...it's a simple as writing a blog post and then putting the link to it in the link up below!

Recipe: Savoury Quiche Muffins

I've never been a fan of savoury muffins. I've always liked the idea of them, and consequently tried a few different recipes, but have never been able to find an enjoyable one. They all seem to lack flavour, and filling, and be a bland dry little muffin that is a very dull thing to eat. So, I decided to make up my own.

These muffins are really a relative of the quiche, being inspired by the Bottomless Quiche Recipe that my Mum has been making for as long as I can remember.
These muffins have a good dose of feta in them because I think it adds the loveliest flavour. They're also light on the flour and heavy on the veggies. You can change the ingredients to suit whatever you have on hand - just remember that they need a good amount of flavour, provided by cheese, herbs and plenty of veg. The first time I made them I added some finely chopped spinach and also added a little cherry tomato, sliced in half, to the top of each before baking.

These are quick to whip up, very easy to devour and make excellent packed lunches.

I hope you enjoy them!
Do let me know if you try them and what you thought.

Reviving A Dried Spelt Sourdough Starter

On Sunday I decided to conduct a small sourdough experiment. Last year I dried out some of my active sourdough starter, and stored it away, intending to pull it back out in a short amount of time and see if I could bring it back to life.
That was nearly twelve months ago, and I must admit that I sort of forgot about the jar of dried starter hiding at the back of the pantry.
I pulled it out on Sunday afternoon and decided to try reviving some. Momentarily I thought it would be a good idea if I looked up just how to do that, but I couldn't be bothered and decided to wing it. Well, it worked.

In just two days, those two tablespoons of dried sourdough flakes have become this bubbling, frothy, active bowl of sourdough starter. I'm thrilled, because now I know that if I ever need to store my starter long term that this is a viable way of doing it. It also means that I can now post starter in the mail...my starter can go global. (Well, national maybe, due to quarantine laws!).

Here's the basic reconstitution recipe I did:

An Easter Giveaway & Three Chocolate Recipes to Die For

Earlier this week a box arrived from The Raw Food Store. Inside it was absolutely packed with goodies to create some delicious chocolaty Easter treats. Some of it I had never used before, like the dried figs, goji berries and buckinis. I've never really liked cereal, and homemade granola makes my stomach ache (all those nuts!). But I really, really like the buckinis. I think the fact that everything in them has been activated might make a difference. They're delicious with yoghurt and fruit, and were my favourite combination with the chocolate.

Playing chocolatier was lots of fun and the results, need I say, delicious to sample. Each chocolate recipe below uses Loving Earth chocolate, because it's the only brand I eat and enjoy. It's refined "everything" free, fair trade and very satisfying. If your chocolate-loving tooth isn't as strong as mine, feel free to swap the dark chocolate for the mylk, it's less intense. Each of these chocolates are easy to make with very gorgeous results. The key to making delicious chocolate treats are using good quality ingredients, which are what I've showcased below.
They'd be perfect Easter gifts, and are easy enough to get the kids involved with. Beware the bark however - it didn't even survive 24 hours without being gobbled up completely.

I've included all three recipes below, and there's also a fantastic giveaway too!

The Relaxed Approach to Sourdough

Sourdough is believed to be the most ancient form of leavened bread making - dating as far back as the ancient Egyptians. Commercial yeast however, - which is a specifically bred single strain - has only been around since some time around the turn of the 20th century.
If you consider that people have been baking sourdough for far, far longer than they have had the technology to actually understand how it works, then doesn't that tell you that bread making should really be quite simple?
There's a lot - and I mean a lot - of information around now about bread making. Some of it is scary and a good deal of it is complicated, particularly in regards to sourdough. One common thread that seems to occur with discussions about bread making is the science behind it: bakers are delving deeply into the "why" of sourdough.
This is of course perfectly ok if you're that interested in knowing the ins and outs of it all, and if the art of sourdough can be your dedicated hobby.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Choc Chip Cookies (Refined Sugar Free)

Peanut butter and chocolate - they're a match made in heaven aren't they? This recipe has been languishing in the family recipe book for years and years and I thought it was high time I shared it here. Well, it hasn't exactly been languishing - I've been using it, I just haven't gotten around to sharing it!

These cookies are quick to whip up, evilly more-ish to eat and are excellent for packed lunches, picnics or to dunk in your afternoon cup of tea. Just make sure you dunk them quickly, or you might end up with chocolate flavoured tea. They also happen to freeze wonderfully.

The cookies in the photo are made on spelt, but you can use whole wheat or even unbleached white wheat flour if you prefer. The choice is yours with the peanut butter too - crunchy is my personal favourite.

Happy baking!

Recipe: Date & Ginger Slice

Ginger would have to be one of my favourite flavourings. It's divine in both sweet and savoury. This slice is very quick to mix together, perfect for last minute baking when you have guests on their way over. Feel free to add more ginger if you like it spicey!

Recipe notes:
The slice pictured has been baked using purple wheat, but I usually make it with spelt. It also works well on regular unbleached white flour, just decrease the flour to 1 3/4 cups instead. You can also substitute with your preferred sweetener

Things to Know When Making Lard

Lard really needs to make a come back. Have you ever had the delight of cooking with it? It's seriously underrated. And making it is super easy, and comes with a delicious little treat at the end - this treat goes by the name of lardon.

My first adventure into making lard happened with a packet of pork fat kindly given to me by the farmer we buy our pork from - a local free range, pastured pork farm where the pigs run around like cattle in a paddock. They're the happiest little pigs around.
All that happiness, sunshine, green grass and fresh air makes the most delicious pork, and consequently very good lard.

The Day's Baking

Today the oven ran almost from start to finish. The prep so that the oven could run from start to finish started last night, with the mixing up of sourdough, gathering of herbs and slicing of tomatoes. The sourdough was left overnight to do it's thing, whilst the tomatoes were sliced and mixed with freshly picked and snipped oregano, sage and garlic chives, olive oil and a little pink salt. They marinated overnight, ready for turning into semi-dried tomatoes today.

Sourdough Boney Bread

I have no idea why, but growing up we used to refer to grainy bread as "boney bread". I still use the name today. Boney bread was something my maternal grandmother always bought, along with other interesting bread like pitas and pocket breads. Boney bread was always my favourite, and for ages now I've been wanting to add seeds to my sourdough baking. I haven't been able to find a suitable seed mix though - they all seem to contain kibbled soy, which I won't touch for reasons that are too long for this blog post.
Last week, however, my Mum produced a bag of mixed seeds that she'd picked up at our local health food shop, that for once was soy free. The joy I felt at the sight of those seeds made me wonder if I was part parrot.

8 Reasons to Make Your Own Sourdough

I'm over on the Liberty Green blog this week sharing 8 Reasons to Make Your Own Sourdough. Hop over here to read the post (and get 10% off Spelt Sourdough Made Simple, but only for a limited time!)

See you there x

"At this busy time of year I find it very grounding to immerse myself into the ritual of making sourdough. As the world rushes on by, sourdough continues to bubble away, doing what it has done for centuries uncounted - turn flour, water and a little salt into the most delicious bread you'll ever taste.

Getting started with sourdough is as easy as 1, 2, 3 - the 1 being add flour to a bowl, 2 adding water and 3 stirring it all together. Nature takes over and does the rest....." Continue reading


Subscribe to receive posts via email and never miss out again

How to Keep Your Sourdough Starter Happy in Summer

I'm fairly certain I've mentioned it before - my sourdough loves summer. The starter activates quickly, and the loaves are more easily over-proved (something that sadly usually happens to my first few loaves coming out of winter - I tend to forget they'll rise quickly and leave them for the same length of time I do in winter!).

Like most living things, my sourdough starter requires slightly different care during the warmer months, so I thought today I'd share with you how I keep her happy during summer. I'll also be touching briefly on how your sourdough starter actually works, hopefully so that you understand her needs better and know how to adjust her care accordingly.

Let's talk sourdough starters, shall we?

A Gift Guide for the Baker

Gift shopping is such a lovely thing, isn't it? As promised earlier this week, here is the gift guide for the Baker in your life. 

I hope you enjoy and find it helpful!

Happy gift giving x

In My Kitchen | November 2016

I've always been a great lover of pizza. As a young child, I and my father were the only ones in the family who actually enjoyed takeaway pizzas. When my mum swapped to making pizzas at home from scratch, everyone started to enjoy pizza, and I just learned to love them even more.
I thought you couldn't better a homemade pizza - but it turns out you can. The first time I made a sourdough base for my pizza I realised that the deliciousness of homemade pizza had just gone up a notch. I haven't made a yeasted base since.

What is your problem with sourdough? (Let's overcome it!)

Recipe: Banana Bread

This recipe is one I grew up with, and still remains a firm favourite. It's moist, delicious and quick to throw together. I love a slice with a cup of tea for breakfast, afternoon tea - or any other time of the day!

The bread above was made on 100% freshly ground spelt, but it also works on white wheat flour or whole wheat flour - whatever you have on hand! An extra banana, sliced lengthwise and placed on top becomes deliciously caramelized and sticky in the oven, adding something extra to each slice.

Happy baking!

Talking Spelt Sourdough Over At Boiled Eggs & Soldiers Blog

Good Morning!

Recently I was very kindly asked by Vicki of Boiled Eggs & Soldiers to write a post all about sourdough for her delightful blog, and of course I said yes!

I thought you might like to hop over and have a read too - you'll find the post right here. I've shared some tips for slotting sourdough baking into your everyday life, and Vicki also has a special offer on my eBook.

See you over there!

Sarah x

Subscribe via email and never miss a post again

In My Kitchen | October 2016

You may remember my In My Kitchen posts from last year, when I would join the popular link-up, now hosted by Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things. I've finally gotten around to being organised enough to join in (for the first time this year!), and so am delighted to give you a little peek at a few of the yummy things that are happening in my kitchen today. I am aware that it's still September for a few hours yet, but my post was ready tonight so I thought why not publish it now, seeing as Lizzy has already put her post up :-)

Above is a garlic and cheese sourdough loaf, made on 100% freshly ground spelt as usual. (The recipe is available in Spelt Sourdough Made Simple). I baked this particular loaf in a tin for a change. I don't actually own a "proper" bread tin, so my tin-baked loaves always resemble loaf cakes since that is what I use. I will buy a real bread tin, one of these days!