Good day to you, fair Reader. I hope that this entry finds you well and that a little magick has found its way into your day.
After penning my last entry, I knew almost immediately what tale I wished to tell next. Before long, I found myself returning to these pages of my ‘electronic grimoire’, eager to share another lesson from my hearth.
Whenever one wanders across social media these days, it seems impossible not to stumble upon the wonderful world of sourdough. Some fortunate souls appear to master the craft with remarkable ease, while others find themselves puzzled by the curious science of creating– and keeping alive– a humble sourdough starter.
If you find yourself among the latter, take heart. Every seasoned bake was once a curious baker.
Sourdough is one of the great loves of my life and a Craft that has become deeply woven into my days. My own journey began in 2023 and from the moment I nurtured my very first starter, lovingly named ‘Lady B’, I was utterly enchanted. There was something wonderfully magickal about combining nothing more than flour, water, time and patience only to watch them awaken into a living culture!
It felt less like baking… and more like tending to an old friend whose wisdom had been quietly passed from hearth to hearth for generations.
So, pull up a chair by the ‘fire’, pour yourself a warm cup of coffee or tea and let’s explore together the ancient art of sourdough.
Many believe that a sourdough starter is simply flour and water. While this is true in the most practical sense, I have always thought it deserved a far more poetic description.
A starter is alive.
It breathes, it grows, it changes with the seasons and it rewards the hands that tend to it with patience and consistency. It cannot be rushed, commanded or neglected for long without consequence. In many ways, it behaves much like the oldest forms of magick– it asks for intention rather than perfection.
For centuries, families guarded their starters as treasured heirlooms. They were carried across oceans, tucked into wagons, wrapped in cloth and lovingly passed from one generation to the next. With each humble jar lived not only wild yeast, but stories of home, resilience and the comforting promise that no matter how difficult life became, there would always be bread upon the table.
Perhaps that is why sourdough captured my heart so completely.
In a world that urges us to hurry, sourdough gently whispers another way. Slow down. Pay attention. Learn its rhythm. Trust the process.
Every bubble tells a story.
Every rise is an act of faith.
Every loaf is a reminder that extraordinary things are often born from the simplest of beginnings.
So, before we even mix our first dough or speak of ‘stretch and folds’, let us first become acquainted with the true heart of sourdough- the living starter, the faithful companion that quietly waits upon the kitchen counter, asking only for flour, water and a little kindness in return.
Creating a sourdough starter is a simple act, yet there is something wonderfully enchanting about the process. Within the flour are naturally occurring wild yeast and friendly bacteria, patiently waiting for the perfect conditions to flourish. When flour and water are brought together, a small world begins to form. Day by day, with each feeding, this tiny ecosystem grows strong, learning the rhythm of the hands that care of it.
To begin your starter, you only need a few humble ingredients:
Flour: the foundation of your creation, full of natural nutrients that will nourish your starter.
Water: the element that brings everything together and allows magick to begin.
Time: the most important ingredient of all.
On the first day, you may simply see a mixture of flour and water resting quietly in a jar. Do not be discouraged by its stillness. Much like a seed planted beneath the soil, the greatest transformations often happen before we can see them.
Each day, you will offer your starter a little more flour and water– a small ritual of care and consistency. In return, your starter will begin to show signs of life. Tiny bubbles may appear. A pleasant aroma may develop. The mixture will slowly rise and fall, whispering that the unseen work has begun.
There may be moments when you wonder if anything is happening at all. Trust the process.
Sourdough teaches us a lesson that modern life often forgets: beautiful things cannot be hurried. Growth requires patience. Creation requires trust. And sometimes, the most magickal things are happening quietly beneath the surface.
When your starter is ready, you will know it. It will be lively, bubbly and eager to help you create your first loaf of bread.
And when the moment arrives, remember this: you did not simply make a starter. You welcomed a piece of the ancient art of bread making into your home.
May the hearth forever be warm, the kettle ever full and your bread always rise with blessings.
Until our paths cross again, dear Reader…
FB.