🍞 My First Official Sourdough Attempt — Week One

A week ago, I started a sourdough starter. Today, it’s finally ready for its first real test.

I’ve been feeding it daily (give or take a missed day). Watching it rise and fall has been weirdly grounding — like checking in on a tiny pet that smells faintly of yogurt and banana.

This morning I woke up around 6:30 AM, got some work done, and then split my ~150g starter into two parts: One to continue its regular feeding and a second one for my first levain!

The levain mix:

- 50g starter

- 200g white flour

- 50g rye flour

- 200g warm water

I left it on my (chilly) counter around 7:30am and went about my day.

Fast forward 9–10 hours: I’m off work and ready for the "final dough".

Here’s what went in:
- 400g white flour
- 25g rye flour
- 345g warm water

I mixed until everything looked even, then ran out to vote in the local elections. That little break — the autolyse — gives the flour time to hydrate and the gluten to start forming.

When I got back, I added and stretched in:
- 10g salt
- 170g of bubbly levain from this morning

Then came the folds, pinches, and stretches — the part that feels more like tending to dough than making it.

Now it’s resting for the night. Tomorrow morning (6–7am), I’ll shape and proof it. Around 11am, it’ll hit the preheated 475°F Dutch oven: 30 minutes covered → 20 minutes uncovered

If all goes well, by lunch I’ll be spreading butter on a warm, homemade slice — my first loaf.

Stay tuned for the post-lunch review 🥖