The Story Behind The Loaves

Like many good things, this all started with a bit of curiosity, maybe a little challenge to myself, why not?! and what I like to think is a fairly common stage in adulthood: eventually convincing yourself that yes, you're absolutely going to mix flour and water together and see where it takes you. I'd seen enough beautiful loaves, enough bubbling starters, and enough people insisting it was "actually quite simple" that I finally thought, I have to try it for myself. I wasn't, by any means, chasing the perfect loaf or trying to become a baker — I was just playing around, seeing where that little experiment might lead.

As it turns out, it led me somewhere I never expected. What began as a simple sourdough starter slowly became fresh loaves on the kitchen counter, then baguettes, buns, focaccias and all kinds of bread that my family looked forward to, until friends started asking if I had an extra loaf to spare and coworkers began putting in requests of their own. Before long, baking had quietly become part of almost everyday life, and I couldn't imagine my home without the smell of bread coming out of the oven.

This feels like the right place to collect the recipes, techniques, little discoveries, and occasional mistakes that have shaped my baking over the years — not because I believe there's only one right way to make sourdough, but because I hope sharing what has worked for me might encourage someone else to give it a try.

If you're here because you're curious about sourdough, because you're looking for inspiration, or simply because you enjoy the process of making bread with your own hands, then you're in exactly the right place. I'm glad you stopped by, and I hope you'll enjoy baking these recipes as much as I've enjoyed creating them.