Sourdough: Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More by Sarah Owens

  • Making your own starter (page 42)

    from Sourdough - Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More Sourdough - Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More by Sarah Owens

    • Categories: How to...; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: raw honey; raisins; bread flour
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Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Beet bread

    • eliza on February 11, 2026

      I wanted to try this since the sweet potato bread from the same book was so good. We found this to be a tasty sourdough loaf with good flavour. I roasted the beets and built my levain ahead of time, and halved the recipe to try it out. I found this to be a very wet dough, and had to add quite a bit of extra flour to bring it together. I did change the method to fit my schedule, and baked with steam 450 fan for about 10 min, then 425 for another 12-15 min, then no steam for another 10 min. Probably won’t make this again, since I liked it but didn’t love it. Edited to add: sliced the loaf and froze it. Slices toasted are quite delicious.

    • aimee_9h5404 on February 15, 2026

      I made this bread a few years ago and remembered the lovely color and subtle beet flavor. Made it again yesterday and it was a show stopper! My dinner guests raved about the texture and asked to take some home with them.

  • Butternut squash and cherry bread

  • Sweet potato levain

    • eliza on April 12, 2025

      This recipe made a very good sourdough bread; the molasses and sweet potato blend well with the sourdough to create a tasty bread with a fine crumb. My flours were from Arva flour mills (red fife white bread flour) and Flourist (red spring whole wheat and whole rye). I built my levain the day before (9 am), and mixed in the evening. I did 3 sets of stretch and folds and then deviated from the recipe and fridged the dough overnight. On baking day, I let it warm up for an hour, then formed 1 large loaf and 2 mini loaves to prove. My kitchen wasn’t that warm so rising took several hours. Baked 450 fan with steam 8 minutes, then 425 fan with steam for about 15 min. Mini loaves were then baked. Larger loaf had extra 10 min or so without steam. Will definitely make this again; might increase salt a touch next time. Very easy if you’re used to sourdoughs. This is not a wet dough, however the sweet potato lends moisture and tenderness to the finished loaves.

  • Friendship loaf

    • skvalentine on October 08, 2021

      This is a favorite.

    • eliza on May 09, 2025

      This bread tasted great with a thin crackly crust. I made half the recipe to try it out. Bread flour from Arva mill, red spring wheat from Flourist and milled my own buckwheat from raw groats. I completely changed the method; made levain overnight, then autolysed for several hours before adding salt. Did some coil folds then rested in the fridge overnight. Shaped and baked next morning. Resulting bread is as light as air. For my half recipe I think 1.5 tsp salt is about right. Baked 400 F covered 30 min then uncovered 10 min. Will def repeat.

  • Autumn upside-down cake

    • stpbcyld50 on July 31, 2020

      Very good! Nice flavor, especially with the nutmeg. I've made it another time and substitute all of the fruit for an equal weight of rhubarb and it came out very good. No extra sugar added. I used mockmilled soft white wheat flour as well. Plan to eat it on the day you bake it

  • Lumberjane loaf

  • Pane di farro

    • Astrid5555 on June 11, 2021

      Used whole rye flour for the dark rye flour mentioned in the recipe. Delicious crust and crumb, husband commented positively on the only very subtle sourness of this bread. Will go into regular rotation.

  • Ploughman's loaf

    • skvalentine on October 08, 2021

      So good! I love having a loaf of this around.

  • Buttermilk biscuits

    • skvalentine on December 26, 2024

      Delightful and delicious, and a great way to use up excess starter.

  • Strawberry and cardamom Dutch baby

    • Lepa on January 29, 2023

      This was not very good. The pancake was rubbery and flat and didn't have much flavor. We love Dutch babies but this was the worst one I have made.

  • Tomato and lebany galette

    • MyKitchenInHalfCups on January 19, 2026

      Absolutely LOVE this recipe. Terrific to use a little sourdough throw off and the walnuts in the crust are a marvel!

  • Apricot and tarragon scones

    • Astrid5555 on August 30, 2021

      Excellent way of using up sourdough discard. Not too sweet with a subtle tarragon taste. Baked off half the dough right away and froze the other half for later, both taste equally delicious. Topped the ones that had been frozen with coarse sugar, which I liked even more.

  • Savory fig crostata

    • skvalentine on October 08, 2021

      These are so good and will really impress your guests!

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Reviews about this book

  • Food in Jars

    For those of you who want to take your sourdough explorations further, there’s no better guide than Sarah Owens. She’ll show you how to include whole grains, sprouted grains, and seasonal ingredients.

    Full review
  • ISBN 10 1645474178
  • ISBN 13 9781645474173
  • Published Oct 14 2025
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 296
  • Language English
  • Edition Anniversary
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Shambhala

Publishers Text

Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Sourdough offers 101 luscious recipes using natural, made-from-scratch sourdough starter for more nutritious, tastier results—going well beyond bread into a wide range of other baked goods.

In Sarah Owens’s pioneering Sourdough, she demystified using sourdough starter for maximum flavor and easy digestion, showing us just how simple it can be to create a healthy starter from scratch. Moreover, she showed how to use home-grown sourdough starter in dozens of baked goods, including cookies, cakes, scones, flatbreads, tarts, and more—well beyond bread. Ten years later, sourdough is more popular than ever. To celebrate, this refreshed anniversary edition includes an updated introduction and expanded resources section.

Sarah Owens spent years baking conventional baked goods, only to realize she had developed a crippling inability to digest or tolerate their ingredients. Unable to enjoy many of her favorite foods, she knew she must find a health-sustaining alternative. Sarah started experimenting with sourdough leavening, which almost immediately began to heal her gut and inspire her anew in the kitchen. Soon after, she launched an artisan small-batch bakery, and with that, a new way to savor and share nutritious sourdough breads and treats with her Brooklyn community. A botanist and gardener as well as a baker, Sarah accents her recipes with brief natural history notes on the highlighted plants and ingredients. Laced with botanical and cultural notes on grains, fruits and vegetables, herbs, and even weeds, Sourdough celebrates seasonal abundance alongside the timeless craft of artisan baking.

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