Well June went by fast...or was that just me? July inside The Bread & Butter Way is all about one thing: learning how to bake with the heat instead of fighting it. Summer kitchens move faster. Starters perk up before you’re awake. Doughs rise while you’re out in the yard. You don’t need to put your starter away until fall — you just need a simpler summer rhythm. Here’s what you can look forward to this month: - Bake through the heat: We’ll talk about shorter countertop time, cooler water, and using your fridge as a brake so dough doesn’t sprint past ready in an hour. - Cold proof as your superpower: You’ll practice mixing when it works for you, tucking dough into the fridge, and baking when your day actually has space. No more “my dough exploded while I was at the pool.” - Real-life summer schedules: Think “mix after dinner, fridge before bed, bake in the cool of the morning” or “mix in the morning, bake after work.” One loaf at a time, you’ll build a summer bread rhythm that fits your life. - Month-end confidence: By the end of July, the goal isn’t perfect loaves. It’s knowing, “I can keep baking even when my kitchen is hot.” And right in the middle of all of that, on July 15th, we’re gathering for a live “Is it Ready?” Sourdough Starter Workshop. Have you ever thought... “Is this active enough?” “Did I feed it at the right time?” “Can I bake with it… or should I wait?” This workshop is for you. We’ll look at real starters at different stages, talk through what “ready” actually looks like in a warm kitchen, and make sure you know what to do before you mix your next dough. You don’t need a perfect starter or fancy tools — just what’s already on your counter and your questions. Register today to reserve your spot. www.thebreadandbutterway.com/starterworkshop

If you’ve got a jar of starter sitting in your fridge and you’re not sure if it’s alive, fed enough, or ready to bake with… you are not the only one. On Tuesday, July 15th, 2026 from 1:00–2:30 pm CT, I’m hosting a 90‑minute live Zoom workshop where we’ll look at your actual starter together. You’ll walk away knowing: - Whether your starter is ready, needs a little rehab, or needs a restart - Exactly how to feed it over the next 3 days - What “normal” looks like (so you stop second‑guessing every bubble) - When it’s a good time to mix dough for your first loaf You just need: - Your sourdough starter (even if it’s been ignored in the fridge) - Some flour and water - 90 minutes where you can be near your kitchen This live workshop is $27 as a beta: a crash course in starter care, maintenance, feeding ratios + more. 👉 Is My Starter Ready? – Live Workshop

In my state of Minnesota (& extreme weather) today we are under a heat advisory. Crazy hot & humid. Two weeks ago, it was starting to warm up. It was still upper 70s so it was what I thought was perfect to mix dough. So I thought. I was prepping for the first farmers market of the season, where I was planning to bring 70 loaves of bread. I had upgraded my fridge so it could hold more dough, and got new containers. However, within 45 minutes, my dough was overflowing out of the containers, I quickly split the dough and put into additional containers. I knew that my dough hadn't fermented completely, it was just aggressively rising. Those containers started to overflow as well! So I split that dough and put them into even more containers. Then put them in fridge to cool down. That helped, but they were still overflowing. I broke all of my rules...and had a mess to show for it. There was one point that when I opened the fridge, the dough had stuck to the door. oof. All the new elements created a layer of unpredictability. Summer kitchens move faster. Doughs rise quicker. Starters wake up before you’ve had coffee. That doesn’t mean you have to quit baking until September. It just means you need a different rhythm. This week inside BBW, we’re talking about how to bake with the heat instead of fighting it: shorter countertop time, more fridge time, and dough schedules that actually work in the heat. If you haven't ever baked in the heat, try it for fun (when there is no pressure) bake one loaf this week using cooler water and at least one cold proof. Notice how long it takes to rise, how the dough feels, and what changes in your crumb. Any summer bake is data. You’re not “messing it up” — you’re learning how your dough behaves when it’s warm. This last week for farmers market, I used cold water, started after the sun started to set and split my dough more evenly through the containers. But it cooled off quite a bit and took FOREVER to rise, but we got there and I didn't have a mess to clean up.

My roommate and I have been successful at keeping our gluten free sourdough alive but we’ve got a few questions about what we could be doing better. Do you discard every time you feed and if so how much should you have left? Is developing hooch okay and how can we prevent it? Is it normal that gluten free starter doesn’t really rise? It bubbles a lot and smells good but doesn’t go above our rubber band when fed. I am hoping to share the starter with someone who will need to drive 17 hours with it, any tips on transportation?

If you’ve ever said, “Store bread doesn’t sit well with me, but homemade sourdough does,” you’re not imagining it. Many people notice a difference. This week, we’re going to talk about why that might be — in simple language, no lab coat needed. You don’t need to become a scientist to make better choices. You just need enough understanding to say, “This works for me, and here’s why.” If bread has ever made you feel off, what did you notice — sleep, digestion, energy? I have included this video : 4 Ways to to Ensure Sourdough Gut Healthy.