This week in my sourdough journey with my beloved starter, Dough-na-tella, I took a pretty big leap — and it actually turned out really well! I’ve been slowly learning the ropes, but this week I decided to challenge myself with a new recipe and scale things up in a big way.
It all started when I was approached by a coworker who knew I was on this journey and she requested if I would make her two loaves of bread if she paid me $20. So ofcourse I accepted the challenge but also warned her that the level of expertise I had in this journey was only beginning. She didn’t care one bit, and the deal was done! So… Off I went.
I followed the Homemade Sourdough Bread (Step-by-Step) recipe from AlexandraCooks.com — and instead of just sticking to a single batch, I went ahead and tripled it. (Go big or go home, right?)
From that one ambitious batch, I ended up making three different kinds of dough:
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A regular sourdough loaf
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A jalapeño cheddar loaf (spicy, cheesy, and so good)
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And a cheddar loaf that I baked in a traditional loaf pan, just to try something new.
The first two loaves were actually made for a coworker who requested them — so not only was I baking for others, but I also had to figure out how to expand my starter to accommodate the extra baking. I learned pretty quickly that Dough-na-tella is very enthusiastic when she gets fed.
Maybe too enthusiastic…
Let’s just say, I went a little overboard. I ended up with way too much starter — so much that I ran out of containers to store it in. The fridge started looking like a bubbly science experiment, and eventually, the starter began overflowing. Lesson learned: Dough-na-tella is healthy, hungry, and does not like to be contained!
Even though it got a bit chaotic, all three loaves turned out beautifully — crusty on the outside, soft and tangy on the inside. It was incredibly satisfying to see the results of everything I’ve learned so far. One of the coolest discoveries this week was seeing just how alive my starter really is. Even after chilling in the fridge, she still grows big and bubbly as long as she’s been fed.
This week reminded me that sourdough is all about learning through doing — experimenting, adjusting, and sometimes making a bit of a mess. And honestly? I’m loving every second of it.
Next up: finding more recipes to use up all that starter… maybe pancakes or crackers? What kind of Discard recipes do you think I should try next?!
Until next time, happy baking from me and Dough-na-tella 🍞💛
I loved reading this update—what a joyful, messy, and delicious week you and Dough-na-tella had! 😂 I could totally picture your fridge bubbling over like a mini science fair.
Your confidence in tripling the recipe and experimenting with different loaves is so inspiring—jalapeño cheddar sounds amazing. I’ve been hesitant to scale up, but your success makes it feel doable.
As for discard recipes, I vote pancakes or maybe even crackers with herbs! Can’t wait to see what you and Dough-na-tella cook up next. 💛🍞
Let me just say! The science experiment in my fridge was a real treat to clean up. There may have been some choice words with dough-na-tella, asking her whyyyyyyyy oh whyyyyyy did she decide now was the time to show off? Sometimes she makes no sense, when I wanted her to double or triple in size she would take forever and when I wanted her to sleep she decided to have a party in my fridge! let me also just say, Somethings I am still learning! ha But the loaves at the end make it all worth doing! Now excuse me while I go for a run and burn off all these bread calories I have been enjoying a little too much!