From Flour to Flourishing: A Sourdough Journey with Dough-na-tella (Summary of Learning)

✨ Introduction: Where It All Began

Fifteen weeks ago, I began this journey with nothing more than flour, water, and doubt. I wasn’t sure if I could keep a sourdough starter alive—let alone bake something edible with it. But what started as a messy science experiment turned into a creative and surprisingly nourishing journey. Meet Dough-na-tella, my bubbly companion and teacher for this semester.

📽️ Before & After Assessment

Before: My first attempt at sourdough was… ambitious. I had no idea what hydration ratios were, my timing was off, and let’s say the “bread” was more brick than ball.

After: Fast forward to week 15: I’ve made rustic loaves, sandwich bread,  inclusions bread, discard pizza dough, jalapeño cheddar loaves, and even taught myself to stretch and fold like a pro.

📝 Weekly Documentation

Throughout the weeks, I documented my journey through blog posts and videos, sharing everything from the chaos of an overflowing starter in my fridge to the joy of baking for others.
Link to the blog hub: My Sourdough Journey with Dough-na-tella
Highlights:

• Sourdough Discard Pizza Glow-Up 🍕

• Chocolate Chip Sourdough Drama 🍪

• Baking on the Go at My Parents’ House 🏡

• Sourdough Pancakes & Inclusion Loaves 🧀

🌐 Learning from Open Education

I leaned heavily on open educational resources (OERs) and social learning platforms to grow my skills. Some of my favorites include:

• Alexandra Cooks – for her step-by-step photo guides

• Little Spoon Farm – for her beginner-friendly discard recipes

• YouTube tutorials – especially Baker Bettie for visual shaping help

• TikTok – where I documented my jalapeño cheddar loaf and learned tricks from creators

💬 Critique of Resources

Not all sources were created equal. Some blogs assumed too much background knowledge. Others lacked visuals, which made certain steps—like scoring or shaping—confusing. I found I needed to supplement with videos or look up multiple sources to fully grasp techniques. The most effective resources used plain language, visuals, and step-by-step timelines.

📱 Using Tech to Document Learning

This journey pushed me to learn new tools:

• I made and edited TikTok videos (as a complete newbie!)

• Created blog posts on Edusites

• Used Canva and Powtoon for visual storytelling

• Captured photos and videos weekly to reflect on progress

🎯 Takeaways

1. Learning is messy, but that’s where the magic is.

2. OERs make learning accessible—but curation matters.

3. You can teach others even as you’re learning.

4. Technology enhanced both my learning and storytelling.

5. Dough-na-tella is more than just a starter—she’s a symbol of growth.

🎥 Final Video