The Sour Crumb

17/06/2026

Flavor comes from fermentation. Not just good ingredients and no amount of technique tricks will enhance flavor. Time. Time is where flavor comes from.

This is why real sourdough tastes different than store bread. A commercial bakery ferments for 2-4 hours. I ferment for 24-48 hours. The difference isn't just in how the bread looks. It's in the flavor.

Fermentation is wild yeast and bacteria working through the dough. They're breaking down starches, developing acids, creating complexity. The longer it happens, the deeper the flavor gets.

Here's why I cold proof after bulk fermentation. After the dough has risen in bulk, I shape it and put it straight in the fridge for an overnight proof. This slows everything down and lets fermentation keep happening while the bread rests. By the time it goes in the oven, it's had 48 hours of gluten breakdown & flavor development.

This is why my bread tastes more complex than something that was made and baked in the same day. You can't rush flavor. It takes time.

And that's okay. Good things usually do.

17/06/2026

Sourdough 101 coming up in a few weeks. Spots are still available if you’re ready to learn!

Join us Sunday, June 28th at 4:00 pm for our Sourdough 101 Workshop

Click here to reserve your spot - https://lemonandlavendermadison.com/collections/event-ticket-sales/products/sourdough-101-workshop-june-28th-4-00-pm

17/06/2026

Adding chocolate chips. This is the fun part. The moment cookie dough goes from plain to exactly what you've been craving.

15/06/2026

New post in the recipe basket this week. It's about what happened last market when it rained all day and the traffic was nothing like we usually see. Instead of stressing about the leftover bread, I made something for my family.

Herb croutons. Crispy, garlicky, the kind that make a salad feel like dinner. And a vanilla bean bread pudding with salted caramel sauce that I've been meaning to make forever.

That's the thing about having bread. Even when the market doesn't work out, you have something to work with. You can turn it into something else. Something good. Something that feeds the people you love instead of sitting in your kitchen worrying about waste.

Read the full post and get the crouton recipe at TheSourCrumb.com in The Journey section. The bread pudding is there too.

13/06/2026

Orders are open for this week. Head to the website and get your order in before the Tuesday deadline.

You have three pickup days to choose from: Wednesday porch pickup, Thursday porch pickup or Providence Market, and Friday at Blue Apple or by arrangement. Select your day when you order and leave a note if you need Providence or Friday porch pickup.

Everything on the menu is available. Orders close Tuesday at 6pm. Visit TheSourCrumb.com and place your order so I know what to bake for you this week.

12/06/2026

Creaming butter and sugar. This is where cookies start. The texture changes from grainy to fluffy, and that's when you know it's ready for the rest of the ingredients. Small details matter.

10/06/2026

Scoring isn't just for looks. It's functional.

When bread bakes, steam builds up inside and needs somewhere to go. If you don't score it, the loaf will burst wherever it's weakest and you lose control of how it opens. The expansion score is where you tell the bread to expand. One deep cut, usually down the center or at an angle, that guides the oven spring and creates that ear on the crust.

A good bread lame makes this easier. It's just a razor blade on a handle, but the angle and sharpness matter. You want a clean, decisive cut that doesn't drag or tear the dough. A dull knife won't do it. You need something sharp that moves through the surface tension without deflating what you just spent hours building.

If you've been baking sourdough without scoring or struggling with a knife that drags, get a proper lame. It changes the outcome completely.

10/06/2026

Preheated clay bakers at 450 degrees. This is how we get that crust. The heat retention creates steam inside the baker, and that steam gives sourdough its signature crust and oven spring. Worth the wait.

09/06/2026

Organization is 90% of the process. The other 10% is trying not to give away what I'm making.

08/06/2026

Two sourdough workshops coming up in June and both have spots available.

Monday, June 22 at 6:30pm - Backstage at the Orion Amphitheater. This is a new venue for me and I'm excited to teach in this space. Sourdough 101 format, hands-on learning, you leave with starter, mixed dough, and resource guides.

Sunday, June 28 at 4:00pm - Lemon & Lavender. Our regular monthly workshop. Same hands-on format, small group, plenty of time for questions.

Both workshops cover feeding starter, mixing dough, shaping, scoring, and baking.

You leave with everything you need to bake your first loaf at home within days of taking the class.

Register at TheSourCrumb.com on the Where to Find Us page. Spots are limited for both.