Making Sourdough at home is beyond simple! If you can measure, stir and have a little patience....you can have fresh bread by dinner time!

Here is the equipment you will need-

1. A big mixing bowl

2. A rubber spatula

3. A measuring Cup

4. A loaf pan or anything you can bake in

- I use a silicone loaf pan or my big cast iron pan But you can use anything that can go in the oven and is non stick

5. A glass mason jar with a tight fitting lid

The grocery items you will need are -

1. 1 cup of Sourdough Starter

- If you don't know anyone with a starter you can buy one on Amazon, Learn how to make your own Here, or if we are friends IRL I am happy to give you some of my starter!

2. Water - I use warm water because I live in a cold climate. 2 cups divided

3. Flour - I use Organic All Purpose but feel free to use what you have! 4 cups divided

4. Salt - I use Pink Himalayan Salt but again use what you have! But only use Iodized if you have to.

1 1/2Tablespoons

**Thats it!

As you get comfortable making the sourdough it is time to get creative! Drizzle some good olive oil into the bottom of the baking pan, add fresh or dried herbs, add dried fruits! The sky is the limit!

To activate your starter

1. remove starter from the fridge

2. scoop entire contents (about a cup) of your starter jar into a big mixing bowl

3. add 1/2 cup warm water, stir gently until the starter becomes liquid

4. add 1 cup flour, fold together until a wet ball is formed

5. cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment in a warm area of your house. The warmer the starter is, the faster it will ferment. Every house is different so play with what works best for you!

After a few hours the starter will expand and you can see it acting alive because it is! You just fed the good bacteria that will help to keep your gut happy:)

Happy Starter!

When the starter is done then you will scoop half of it (about 1/2 a cup) and put it into a mason jar and back into the fridge. You can repeat this process as much as you want to continue to make start for friends and neighbors.

To make a loaf of bread -

1. keep the other half of the stater in the same bowl you used to ferment

2. add 1 1/2 cups warm water, mix the water and the starter together

3. add 3 cups flour and 1 1/2 Tablespoons Salt (you may need to adjust this based on your preferences)

4. stir together until a wet ball is formed again

5. allow to rest and ferment again, covered with plastic wrap, a tea towel or I usually use beeswax paper. The goal is to not allow it to get dry. The bacteria like a warm and wet environment to grow.

6. when the bowl gets full up to the top its time to bake!

7. preheat oven to 425

8. decide what pan you would like to bake in

9. gently fold the sides over the top of the dough, turning the bowl 6 to 8 times

10. fold entire dough ball into baking vessel (loaf pan, cast iron, etc.)

11. allow dough to rest for 15-20 minutes before baking

12. bake for 40 minutes

My cousin Dana gifted me with some of her starter about a year and a half ago. Thanks Cousin! Since then, I have been making about a loaf of bread every week for my family. It has been a wonderful experience for my kids ....Aaron calls it "his bread" and I love the grounding I feel when I make something like this from scratch.

I keep my starter in the fridge and bring it back to life every week. I do realize that many families go through much more bread than we do so ...do you! Make a loaf everyday, increase to a double batch, use the starter to make pancakes! With a sourdough starter as long as you have flour you can be limitless with your creations.

As always, if you have questions or need a little help I am an email away! alisa@thechefchic.com

Happy Baking!

Chef Alisa