Hey, I'm Anna!

I've always loved baking. When I was little, anytime my mom would be making something in the kitchen I would always ask, "can I help?" One of the benefits of my being homeschooled is that I have been able to learn many skills with hands on experience, and baking is one of them. From her teaching me the basics I then began baking on my own, but I mainly baked muffins, cookies, and the like. 

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My Introduction to Sourdough

That all changed one summer when I went to visit my older sister. She had recently been given a sourdough starter and had made a few sandwich loaves, so one day she put me in charge of making a loaf. Though the recipe she had given me to follow made very little sense to me, I managed to make the dough without any mistakes. Several hours after that point my sister looked at the unrisen dough, looked back at me and asked if I had kneaded it. I casually replied, (and this is a testament to how far I've come,) "No sorry, I forgot. I'm sure it won't affect it very much, right?" She looked at me with that look of "...are you kidding me?" I still laugh and sigh with disappointment when I think back on that memory. Kneadless to say, (pun intended) it was a very dense loaf of bread. Edible, but definitely not desirable. 

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Martha

My sister sent me home with some starter of my own, and we both agreed that "Martha"​ was the perfect name for the starter. I still refer to my starter as Martha and only Martha, because she isn't just any 'starter', she's my starter. It does sound a little cheesy, but it's true!  Martha has traveled many miles across the state lines - first, my sister gave me some of her starter, then hers died and I gave her some of mine. Then mine grew ill while I was out of town, and she gave me some of hers. Then I accidentally dropped her starter's container on my way to feed it and got shattered glass all mixed in with it, (that was a very sad day,) so I gave her some of mine. So, as you can see, Martha has been a faithful starter, so of course she's very dear to me.

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Tired Of Sandwich Loaves

When I got back home with Martha, I started baking mainly sandwich loaves. I had gotten to a point where I had that down, and moved onto a couple other bakes, but I still wanted to do more. Though I was still satisfied with the beautifully risen sandwich loaf that would come fresh out of the oven, it no longer brought the same thrill. I felt stuck. I began reading articles and blog posts about sourdough - constantly baking, feeding Martha, reading more, always learning and trying to implement what I had read. I began to learn about the science of sourdough: (which is absolutely fascinating,) why it is good for you, how the majority of store-bought bread is made and processed, and why it is so important to choose it over commercial grade yeast in bread baking. This further drove my passion, but I still wanted to do more. I felt like I had hit a wall and something wasn't connecting. 

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Something Clicked

Until One day, something about it all just seemed to make sense to me. The connection of ingredients, temperature, timing, rising, falling, feeding, kneading - it finally made sense. If I knew what day that was when it all sinked in you can be sure that I'd have that day marked on my calendar and celebrated each year, but unfortunately I have no idea when it was. And no, it wasn't like one of those moments in the cartoons where they have a lightbulb over their head and suddenly realize the solution to their problem, but it did seem to be a sudden progression. I began baking anything from artisan loaves and cinnamon rolls, to crackers and biscotti using Martha.

 

And Now

With Martha by my side (or really, on my counter looking gorgeously risen in her beautiful, giant jar,) the main limit really is counter space and flour supply. The day I stop baking is the day I either die or can't move my arms, because, to quote Ernesto De La Cruz, (If ya know ya know,) "The sourdough, its not just in me, it is me." I'm always continuing to learn and grow, and I'm far from knowing all there is to know about sourdough. Very far. But I love it, and am very thankful to my sister for introducing me to sourdough, and all of my family for encouraging me (and helping me sample my bakes.) 

What truly amazes me about the art of sourdough is the beautiful simplicity of it, which is by God's design: flour, water, starter, and salt - these four simple ingredients, through the careful process of kneading, shaping, and baking, come together to make what has been shared and enjoyed by families and friends for millennia - a fresh loaf of bread. It brings people together, and what a beautiful thing that is to watch. And I'm so very thankful to be apart of that.

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- Anna