It's no secret that baking sourdough can be time consuming - this often makes it unattractive, especially to a busy mom, who does all the things.
I can't tell you how many mamas have taken my Basic Sourdough Bread class & have looked at me like a deer in the headlights...& I always know what they are thinking...
How on Earth am I going to do this?! It seems like such a commitment!
I get it. I have a full time job, two part time jobs, my own business, l'm a wife + a mother to a five year old. It can be a lot. What if I told you that there are things you can do to make sourdough baking less time consuming, less overwhelming and more accessible - even if you're a busy mom with small children at home. Trust me, I'm one of you too!!!
Today I want to share with you 5 of my Sourdough Secrets for Busy Moms:
Buy a sourdough starter
Choose the best place to keep your starter
Keep it simple
Identify the time you actually have available
Get your kids involved in the process (age appropriate)
BUY A SOURDOUGH STARTER:
Buy yourself a ready made sourdough starter. Honestly, unless it's important to you that your starter comes from your kitchen, just buy an established sourdough starter! It's a simple way to fast track your journey.
Purchasing a ready made sourdough starter means you don't have to spend weeks (possibly months) feeding a sourdough starter twice a day. You can use your time to actually make bread for your family right away. You have to work smarter, not harder when you're a busy mama!
And lucky for you, I have a very healthy, active starter you can purchase on my Etsy store or website. Seriously, this will save you SO MUCH TIME.
CHOOSE A HOME FOR YOUR STARTER:
While this might seem simple, it's very important to find a spot to keep your sourdough starter. This will dictate how much time you will need to spend to maintain it.
There are two choices here:
1- On the counter - must be fed at least once a day (great if you're going to bake daily). Mine lives on the counter so I can whip up anything sourdough at a moment's notice.
2- In the fridge - only needs occasional feeding (perfect if you're going to bake one loaf of bread a week or less). I love this option for weeks when I'm too busy or don't feel like baking!
KEEP IT SIMPLE:
One of the best ways to have a happy baking experience when making sourdough as a mom is to keep things simple! I encourage you to stick to one recipe and bake plain sourdough bread - at least until you're very comfortable with the process, then you can experiment if you want.
As a mama of a five-year-old, one full-time job + 2 part-time jobs, I found the easiest way to make sure I could make a loaf of sourdough every day was to keep things really parred back. I always use a kitchen scale to ensure consistency and unbleached bread flour to give me consistent success every time. I've learned that when I over-complicate things by trying to do too much, I don't enjoy the process nearly as much.
Don't focus on the most perfect loaf, focus more on baking delicious, naturally fermented bread for you & your family.
IDENTIFY THE TIME YOU ACTUALLY HAVE:
I think this is one of the most important aspects of being a successful sourdough baker! Instead of always thinking oh I can't bake sourdough, I don't have the time. Look at the time you actually do have available - taking into consideration times when the house is a little calmer or times when you can be in the kitchen by yourself to get the process done more easily.
For me, this is Friday or sometimes on the weekends when my husband is home & he's spending time with our daughter. The trick here is to make the process work for you & the time you have available. Even five minutes can be used to toss some flour, water, sourdough starter and salt in a bowl to autolyse, form up some dough or perform a set of stretch and folds. If you have a few five minute periods throughout the day, you can bake sourdough bread! I PROMISE! If I can do it, you can too.
GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED:
This one is obviously totally up to you - sometimes I use sourdough as an escape from "momming," so feel free to disregard this one! But I also love including my daughter in the process of baking sourdough bread.
This not only helps to give your kids useful life skills that they will thank you for later. It can also be a way to spend more time with them, all while doing something you love.
Kids love to be part of measuring, stirring, shaping etc. It's a nice way to make sourdough a family affair! And if you have really little ones, wear them in a baby carrier while you make sourdough!
MORE SOURDOUGH TIPS FOR BUSY MOMS:
HAPPY BAKING MAMAS!
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