In the final minutes of baking, as the loaf rises to its fullest and its scent wafts out of the oven filling the kitchen, the fruit of our labor becomes apparent. The crust darkens from shades of honey to amber to a brown. When the oven door opens a rush of heat carries the scent of toasted grain into the air.

Mr. Lindsey, one of Rocky’s counselors, has been baking sourdough bread for two years. He hasn’t bought bread since starting and takes joy every week in experimenting with new recipes.

“I love trying new recipes. Generally, they turn out okay, but every now and then, I will try a new recipe, and it completely tanks.”

The time it takes is worth the extra effort. Sourdough bread is a healthier alternative to traditional store-bought bread due to its lack of preservatives.

Mr. Lindsey remarks that “if you make your own bread, you know what goes into it. I know my sourdough is gonna have organic flour; it’s gonna have salt, and it’s gonna have water–and that’s it.”

In addition to having a more minimalist ingredient list, sourdough bread is healthier in many other ways. In the process of making the bread, gluten is broken down more relative to other breads, making it better for gluten intolerances.

Also, the bacterial yeast breaks down compounds before digestion, making it healthier for your gut. All of this in addition to the fermentation process makes sourdough a much healthier option. While fermenting, non-essential starches are removed and replaced with iron, manganese, calcium, B1-B6, B12, folate, zinc, potassium, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, selenium, and more.

The process of baking sourdough is a time consuming one, but straightforward. The steps are short and simple, just spread out over time.

It is important to make time in your schedule for it, while understanding you will have plenty of time to work on other things in the meantime. With this in mind, Mr. Lindsey recommends people still try it.

“I think it’s a really, really fun hobby. I actually hate baking, but I love making sourdough bread, ’cause it just kind of has this different feel to it, and so it’s fun.”

Inspired by Mr. Lindsey’s exceptional review and armed with a bit of sourdough starter, my friend Nola and I were determined to make a loaf of sourdough bread. Every recipe and system is different, but here is how we did it.

The bread is baked over the course of three days. The first step happens right before you go to bed. Mix 1-2 tablespoons of starter with 50 grams of room temperature water and 50 grams of flour. Although you can make your own starter, it is a lot easier to take some of a friend’s or buy your own. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave it out overnight, 8-12 hours.

The next day, combine 100 grams of your mixture with 375 grams of water then 500 grams of flour. Use your hands to combine. Let this sit for 40 minutes. There is a lot of waiting between steps; we played board games while waiting. Add 10 grams of salt, then fold the dough. To fold, reach under the dough on the opposite side, pulling the dough up and over towards you. Repeat this for the left, right, and close side. Then flip the dough over completely.

The process is really easy once you get it down, and should only take a minute or two. Waiting 30 minutes between each fold, complete six more folds. Let the dough rest out of the bowl for 20 minutes, then place it in a bowl with floured parchment paper. Set in the fridge overnight.

The next morning, preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and let a Dutch oven preheat for an additional 30 minutes. Place the dough on parchment paper in the Dutch oven, gently score the bread, and put the dough in the oven for 20 minutes at 450 degrees. After 20 minutes, take the lid off of the Dutch oven, and bake for another 20 minutes. Let the bread cool, and you are done!

Following this process listed above, we found that baking sourdough wasn’t as hard as we expected, and our first loaf was perfect! At the end of the day, sourdough is more than just bread, it is a patience filled practice.

From the first moments to pulling out the golden crusted bread from the oven, baking sourdough is an invitation to slow down and create something.

Sourdough is about experimentation, learning, being healthy, and enjoying the craft.

Though it takes time, the reward is a healthier, homemade loaf and provides the satisfaction of accomplishment that anyone could create.