Yes I am supposed to be running right now but I wanted to start this post first to find other sourdough fanatics out there.
I made my own starter about 2 weeks ago and have been making things with the discard - sourdough pretzel bites, cinnamon sugar sourdough pretzel bites, sourdough popovers and will start sourdough donuts batter to make tomorrow morning before we leave for our trip.
I’d love to share recipes and tips for sourdough bread as well as trading a sourdough discard recipes!!
I’ve never been much of a baker. Its not a strong skill of mine but it’s changing with the art and science of sourdough!
While I can’t say my sourdough is as amazing as those from California, I am happy with my first starter here in North Carolina. I could see getting into it and collecting starters from different parts of the country/world!
Making the starter is literally flour and water and time for the local yeast to get going. I guess I’d have to say yes, in some ways, it’s easy (like making starter) but it does require daily maintenance (discarding some starter, adding water, adding flour) but if you bake anyway or want to bake more sourdough items, it’s great!
I’m making sourdough donut batter (with today’s discard) to rise overnight, feeding it (adding more flour and water), and putting it in the fridge as I’ll be out of town till Saturday.
Looks yummy @Artemisia There is nothing like sourdough. When I was a kid my mother was given one from California but she never did anything with it. I keep talking about making a gluten free one but I haven’t gotten there plus I don’t have anyone to give it to and that’s a lot of baking
I started a sourdough during the first part of the pandemic and said we would bring something positive come from it and would have stories to tell our future grandkids that they were eating bread that was started during the pandemic.
I kept it going for about 8 months and I killed it .
I may try again though as I love sourdough bread. The sourdough pancakes were awesome!
I love your pretzels and popovers. They look delicious!
Oh hello cute little pretzel bites- those look deeeeelicious!
Sourdough sounds like fun! I’ve never experimented with it myself, but it’s neat to see what you’re doing with it. Please keep up updated on your baking adventures, @Artemisia - hope you keep on having fun with it!
They may not look perfect as I was a little rushed rolling them out to rise and then making them before leaving for the week but here are my first-ever sourdough donuts (tbh my first every donut period). I didn’t have a donut cutter (didn’t think about it before starting this all so I used a wide-mouth glass for the outside and a shot glass for the inside. Improvisation.
I didn’t have a thermometer high enough to keep the oil within range so they are a little darker than expected but they tasted amazing. Light crisp outer shell and soft inside.
Those look amazing, and it sounds like they taste even better than they look!
Have you tried one of those infrared digital thermometers? I had to get one for making the soap and it’s amazing. Just press the button and it’s an instant read of the batter/mix/oil! They’re pretty inexpensive too (I got a low-end one and it cost about 8 dollars or so on Amazon).
Although to be fair, it sounds like you don’t need the thermometer- those donuts came out beautifully if you ask me!
I’ve tried my hand at making a sourdough starter more than once and it never turned out well My grandmother had given me a sourdough starter many years ago, but not knowing what to do with it… well, I don’t know what happened to it. Now that she’s passed on, I wish I had kept it.
You’ve given me new inspiration to get a starter going, though! I need to get a jar or something for it. What’s the best method you’ve found that works so far? Do you just use a mason jar or something?
I wish I had some to snack on! 
that they were eating bread that was started during the pandemic.
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My grandmother had given me a sourdough starter many years ago, but not knowing what to do with it… well, I don’t know what happened to it. Now that she’s passed on, I wish I had kept it.