Summary

Podcast Summary: Simple Farmhouse Life Episode: 278. Don’t Overcomplicate Sourdough: Simple, Attainable Strategies for Delicious Bread Every Day | Anja of Our Gabled Home
Release Date: February 25, 2025
Host: Lisa Bass
Guest: Anja from Our Gabled Home

Introduction

In episode 278 of the Simple Farmhouse Life podcast, host Lisa Bass welcomes back Anja from Our Gabled Home to discuss making sourdough baking accessible and straightforward. Anja brings her unique, laid-back approach to sourdough, drawing from her German heritage and over a decade of baking experience. This episode delves into simplifying sourdough techniques, incorporating whole grains, and overcoming common baking challenges.

Simplifying Sourdough

Anja emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience in mastering sourdough. She believes that experimentation and embracing failures are crucial for developing an intuitive feel for the dough.

Anja [00:00]: "Unless you actually get out there and do it and experiment, you don't get that feel for it. And you have to have a certain amount of failures so that you understand what it's supposed to feel like."

Anja introduces her family’s traditional German method for creating a sourdough starter, which simplifies the process by eliminating precise measurements and discards.

Anja [02:57]: "It's really simple. So you don't measure anything, you don't weigh anything, you don't have to follow any timelines. Most of all, you don't discard anything and you don't have to feed anything. So it's really uncomplicated, it's super no fuzz."

Whole Grain Sourdough Recipes

The conversation shifts to Anja’s favorite whole grain sourdough recipes. She shares her love for using a variety of ancient grains, which add complexity and nutrition to her bread.

Anja [08:30]: "I love these days. Emmer spelt einkorn. Sometimes I add a little rye because rye gives it a little bit more complexity... And this is the beauty about this bread recipe. You can pretty much put anything in there that you want."

Anja's current project is a no-fuss whole grain sourdough loaf prepared in a loaf pan, making the process hassle-free and suitable for everyday baking.

Transitioning to Whole Grains

Lisa and Anja discuss the benefits and challenges of converting traditional white flour recipes to whole grains. Anja advises starting slow, gradually increasing the proportion of whole grains to adjust to new flavors and textures.

Anja [21:14]: "Start slow, you know, make small incremental changes... It just adds nutrition and flavor and color."

They highlight that whole grain breads will inherently be denser and more flavorful than their white flour counterparts, encouraging bakers to embrace these differences rather than striving for identical outcomes.

Anja [37:09]: "A whole grain baked product will never taste like a white flour product... The texture is not going to be the same."

Dealing with Baking Challenges

The discussion addresses common sourdough challenges, such as managing fermentation times in varying climates and handling failed loaves without losing confidence.

Anja [23:41]: "If the bread didn't come out the way I wanted... it's a learning opportunity."

Lisa shares her personal experiences with adjusting baking schedules based on seasonal temperature changes, ensuring successful loaves year-round.

Lisa [31:10]: "During winter, I can start bread in the morning and bake it that night without over-fermenting."

Storage of Grains

Proper storage is crucial to prevent pantry pests like moths. Anja explains her method of using flour sacks turned into fabric bags and keeping grains in insulated drawers.

Anja [47:07]: "I keep the bags in a bottom drawer because we don't have a heat source in the kitchen... So far, no bugs, nothing."

She recommends using food-grade buckets with tight lids for larger quantities to ensure grains remain pest-free.

Anja [48:38]: "If you have bigger quantities... use food-grade buckets with really tight lids."

Grain Mills

Anja and Lisa discuss their preferred grain mills, emphasizing the importance of grind quality in bread texture. Anja details her transition from a KitchenAid attachment to a standalone Mockmill for better performance.

Anja [51:07]: "The Mockmill KitchenAid attachment has ceramic grindstones that don't heat the flour... I absolutely love the Lino 200, the nice one with a wooden housing."

Lisa echoes the value of investing in a quality grain mill, highlighting long-term savings and superior bread quality.

Lisa [56:27]: "If you're sourcing quality bread... it's a good investment."

Community and Resources

Anja shares updates from her Our Gabled Home YouTube channel, where she explores new sourdough recipes and answers common baking questions. She encourages listeners to follow her work for more tips and traditional German recipes.

Anja [58:15]: "I'm experimenting more with other sourdough recipes... converting them to sourdough."

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Lisa and Anja reinforcing the message that sourdough baking can be simple and rewarding without the need for perfection. They encourage listeners to find techniques that work for them, embrace experimentation, and enjoy the process of baking nutritious, homemade bread.

Lisa [63:27]: "Always great to have you on Anya."

Listeners are directed to Anja’s website and YouTube channel for additional resources and recipes, ensuring continued support in their sourdough journey.

Key Takeaways:

Simplify Sourdough: Remove the need for precise measurements and discards to make sourdough accessible.
Embrace Whole Grains: Gradually incorporate whole grains to enhance flavor and nutrition without striving for white flour consistency.
Manage Challenges: Adapt baking schedules to climate and view failures as learning opportunities.
Proper Storage: Use fabric sacks or food-grade buckets to store grains and prevent pest infestations.
Invest in Quality Mills: High-quality grain mills like Mockmill produce better flour, enhancing bread texture and taste.
Community Support: Utilize online resources and communities for tips, recipes, and troubleshooting.

Notable Quotes:

Anja [00:00]: "Unless you actually get out there and do it and experiment, you don't get that feel for it."
Anja [21:14]: "Start slow, you know, make small incremental changes."
Anja [37:09]: "A whole grain baked product will never taste like a white flour product."
Anja [47:07]: "I keep the bags in a bottom drawer... So far, no bugs, nothing."
Lisa [56:27]: "If you're sourcing quality bread... it's a good investment."

For more details on Anja’s methods and recipes, visit Our Gabled Home YouTube Channel and Our Gabled Home Website.

Summary

Introduction

Simplifying Sourdough

Anja emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience in mastering sourdough. She believes that experimentation and embracing failures are crucial for developing an intuitive feel for the dough.

Anja [00:00]: "Unless you actually get out there and do it and experiment, you don't get that feel for it. And you have to have a certain amount of failures so that you understand what it's supposed to feel like."

Anja introduces her family’s traditional German method for creating a sourdough starter, which simplifies the process by eliminating precise measurements and discards.

Anja [02:57]: "It's really simple. So you don't measure anything, you don't weigh anything, you don't have to follow any timelines. Most of all, you don't discard anything and you don't have to feed anything. So it's really uncomplicated, it's super no fuzz."

Whole Grain Sourdough Recipes

The conversation shifts to Anja’s favorite whole grain sourdough recipes. She shares her love for using a variety of ancient grains, which add complexity and nutrition to her bread.

Anja [08:30]: "I love these days. Emmer spelt einkorn. Sometimes I add a little rye because rye gives it a little bit more complexity... And this is the beauty about this bread recipe. You can pretty much put anything in there that you want."

Anja's current project is a no-fuss whole grain sourdough loaf prepared in a loaf pan, making the process hassle-free and suitable for everyday baking.

Transitioning to Whole Grains

Anja [21:14]: "Start slow, you know, make small incremental changes... It just adds nutrition and flavor and color."

Anja [37:09]: "A whole grain baked product will never taste like a white flour product... The texture is not going to be the same."

Dealing with Baking Challenges

The discussion addresses common sourdough challenges, such as managing fermentation times in varying climates and handling failed loaves without losing confidence.

Anja [23:41]: "If the bread didn't come out the way I wanted... it's a learning opportunity."

Lisa shares her personal experiences with adjusting baking schedules based on seasonal temperature changes, ensuring successful loaves year-round.

Lisa [31:10]: "During winter, I can start bread in the morning and bake it that night without over-fermenting."

Storage of Grains

Proper storage is crucial to prevent pantry pests like moths. Anja explains her method of using flour sacks turned into fabric bags and keeping grains in insulated drawers.

Anja [47:07]: "I keep the bags in a bottom drawer because we don't have a heat source in the kitchen... So far, no bugs, nothing."

She recommends using food-grade buckets with tight lids for larger quantities to ensure grains remain pest-free.

Anja [48:38]: "If you have bigger quantities... use food-grade buckets with really tight lids."

Grain Mills

Anja [51:07]: "The Mockmill KitchenAid attachment has ceramic grindstones that don't heat the flour... I absolutely love the Lino 200, the nice one with a wooden housing."

Lisa echoes the value of investing in a quality grain mill, highlighting long-term savings and superior bread quality.

Lisa [56:27]: "If you're sourcing quality bread... it's a good investment."

Community and Resources

Anja [58:15]: "I'm experimenting more with other sourdough recipes... converting them to sourdough."

Conclusion

Lisa [63:27]: "Always great to have you on Anya."

Listeners are directed to Anja’s website and YouTube channel for additional resources and recipes, ensuring continued support in their sourdough journey.

Key Takeaways:

Simplify Sourdough: Remove the need for precise measurements and discards to make sourdough accessible.
Embrace Whole Grains: Gradually incorporate whole grains to enhance flavor and nutrition without striving for white flour consistency.
Manage Challenges: Adapt baking schedules to climate and view failures as learning opportunities.
Proper Storage: Use fabric sacks or food-grade buckets to store grains and prevent pest infestations.
Invest in Quality Mills: High-quality grain mills like Mockmill produce better flour, enhancing bread texture and taste.
Community Support: Utilize online resources and communities for tips, recipes, and troubleshooting.

Notable Quotes:

Anja [00:00]: "Unless you actually get out there and do it and experiment, you don't get that feel for it."
Anja [21:14]: "Start slow, you know, make small incremental changes."
Anja [37:09]: "A whole grain baked product will never taste like a white flour product."
Anja [47:07]: "I keep the bags in a bottom drawer... So far, no bugs, nothing."
Lisa [56:27]: "If you're sourcing quality bread... it's a good investment."

For more details on Anja’s methods and recipes, visit Our Gabled Home YouTube Channel and Our Gabled Home Website.

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278. Don’t Overcomplicate Sourdough: Simple, Attainable Strategies for Delicious Bread Every Day | Anja of Our Gabled Home

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Summary

Introduction

Simplifying Sourdough

Whole Grain Sourdough Recipes

Transitioning to Whole Grains

Dealing with Baking Challenges

Storage of Grains

Grain Mills

Community and Resources

Conclusion

Summary

Introduction

Simplifying Sourdough

Whole Grain Sourdough Recipes

Transitioning to Whole Grains

Dealing with Baking Challenges

Storage of Grains

Grain Mills

Community and Resources

Conclusion