Week 2 Challenge: Build Your Sourdough Timeline One of the biggest sources of stress for new sourdough bakers isn’t the recipe. It’s the timing. “Do I have enough time?” “When should I mix?” “Will this fit into my day?” Here’s the good news: sourdough can fit into almost any schedule once you build a simple rhythm. This week, your goal is to choose a timeline that fits your life. Below are three of the most common schedules home bakers use. Try one and see how it feels. Important: With Sourdough Made Simple, you basically will need a time to mix your dough/feed your starter, let them rise, then another time to shape & rest your dough and then score/bake your dough. See March Challenge Week 1 for more info. With this method you can mix up your dough Sunday afternoon, pop it in the fridge once it has doubled and pull from it to form your loaves all week. The dough will get more sour the later in the week it is. I’m always a little hesitant sharing baking schedules & timelines because I don’t want you to get stuck on a rigid schedule. But here are some ideas that can get you started...find your timeline. . Option 1: Evening Mix / Next Day Bake This is one of the easiest rhythms for many home bakers. - Mix your dough (with the starter) before or after dinner, when you kitchen is the warmest - 4 hours later (put dough in the fridge overnight) - When you are ready the next day or 3 days later:  Option 2: Morning Mix / Evening Bake or Next Day Bake Great for people who like to start something before the day begins. • Mix your dough in the morning before work • Let it bulk ferment during the day • Shape when you get home (FYI: warm dough is harder to handle) • Bake before dinner Or put it in fridge when you get home and bake the next day for longer fermentation. This schedule lets sourdough work quietly in the background while you go about your day. Option 3: Weekend Baker Perfect if weekdays are busy. • Mix dough Friday evening or Saturday Morning • Let double (4 hours or so) Put in the fridge.

Trying to start a starter. So many conflicting info. Would like to be a weekend baker for now

Let’s take a moment to celebrate what you’ve accomplished this month — big or small, every win matters. Whether you baked your first loaf, stayed consistent with your starter, tried a new recipe, organized your kitchen, or simply showed up when life felt full… that counts. This community is built on progress, not perfection, and January was all about laying foundations. Drop your January wins in the comments below so we can cheer each other on — your courage to share might be exactly what someone else needs today.

Happy to be part of this community! One of my biggest struggles is fitting a regular baking routine into and around the rest of my somewhat busy life. Do others have this problem? How do you handle this?