When you’re a sourdough beginner, reading recipes is like entering a whole new world. You’re figuring out words like autolyse, not to mention buying new tools like brotforms and scoring knives. So, since several of you have asked where to start, here’s advice, one newbie to another. Fresh from my first success (!), here’s what you actually need–and what’s only nice, not necessary, to have.

At the beginning of this week, I put my research to the test and baked (my first solo) sourdough. Using this beginner’s recipe from The Perfect Loaf (tip: bookmark this recipe!), I used all organic all-purpose flour instead of the recommended bread-wheat-rye flour combo, spent a little over 24 hours following steps and monitoring my dough and, guess what? It worked! No one was more surprised than I to find a golden crust, a soft crumb and stretchy slices I could see light through … it really was magic.Read More