Pearl Prettiest Bake Yet — Sourdough Sandwich Bread That Keeps Getting Better

Pearl’s prettiest bake yet is officially in the books — and I have to say, every time I bake with her I cannot believe how much better she keeps getting. It’s Saturday feed day, which means I took Pearl out of the fridge, cleaned her jar, and fed her 200 grams of bread flour and 200 grams of room temperature purified water. She even had a little hooch on the top this time — that thin layer of liquid that forms when a starter is hungry — and I just mixed it right back in. Then I set her on the counter in a warm spot and waited for her to do her thing.

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Pearl took about 7 hours to hit her peak this time — I fed her around 10:30 in the morning and she peaked right around 5:30 that evening. That is totally normal for a starter coming out of the refrigerator after a week, and I love that she is getting more and more predictable with every bake. She sat in her freshly cleaned Weck Tulip Sourdough Jar (Shop on Amazon) and just did exactly what she was supposed to do. Good girl, Pearl. If you have ever noticed a liquid layer forming on top of your starter after it comes out of the fridge, that is hooch — and it is completely normal. King Arthur Baking has a great explanation of what hooch is and what to do with it if you want to learn more.

The Mistake I Caught Just in Time

Once Pearl peaked, I got my dough started — and this is where I have to be honest with y’all, because this is exactly how I killed my first starter and it is exactly why measuring by weight is so important. I had only measured the ingredients for ONE loaf instead of two. I caught it right before it was too late, added the missing 40 grams of olive oil and 40 grams of raw honey, confirmed my salt was already correct at 20 grams, and then got right back on track. The weights and the grams are just so different from the way I learned to cook — cups and tablespoons have been my whole life — but I am getting better at it every single bake. This is exactly the kind of thing I love about sharing this journey with y’all. It is not always perfect. Sometimes you catch a mistake and keep going.

The Bake

Then it was 830 grams of flour, mixing it all together with my fingers for about a minute, covering the dough to rest for 30 minutes, and then two stretch-and-fold sessions. Life got a little busy and I did not get them on film this time — but they happened! The dough went in covered and the results speak for themselves. Two of the most gorgeous, golden, domed sandwich loaves Pearl has ever made. She came out of those Wilton Gold Non-Stick Loaf Pans (Shop on Amazon) looking absolutely perfect, and the whole kitchen smelled incredible.

And of course — tonight, this bread became the base for Toast with the Most. Sourdough night at the Longstreth house, where everyone tops their own slice. That is a post for another day, but just know that Pearl’s bread was the star of the show.

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Pearl Prettiest Bake Yet — About Stephanie’s Sourdough Journey

This post is part of Stephanie’s Sourdough Journey — an ongoing series following Pearl (Stephanie’s established all-purpose starter, a gift from her friend Sara) and Free Willy 2 (a whole wheat starter converting to support Jason’s Mediterranean diet). Two starters, one kitchen, endless learning. Start from the beginning at Sourdough Day 1.