simple organic sourdough

just an amateur baking bread for my friends

Hi! I’m Leanne and I bake sourdough bread in Lexington, SC. In my journey towards learning how to feed myself and my family real, whole, nourishing foods, I discovered the benefits of sourdough bread. More on those benefits later.

I LOVE being in the kitchen, but I know not everyone does. My goal is to make this beautiful, delicious, health-promoting bread available to my friends who also desire to feed their families well but don’t feel at home in the kitchen. Organic, high-quality ingredients are important in our home, so you can trust you’re getting only the best!

How to order

Currently, I am baking a limited number of loaves on a limited number of days per month. You can follow along on Instagram @leannepinkhamburchett to catch my next sourdough drop (plus some cute baby photos), or you can email me at leanneburchett@gmail.com, and I will add you to the list to be notified of my next bake.

If you would like to place an order outside of my scheduled sourdough days, feel free to reach out! I am happy to accommodate.

Why sourdough?

sourdough doesn’t just taste great; it has a host of health benefits

- Sourdough bread is a fermented bread that uses natural wild yeast to rise, rather than commercial yeast.
- Phytic acid (that is naturally present in wheat), which is an anti-nutrient that blocks absorption of the nutrients found in wheat, gets broken down during the sourdough fermentation process. This breakdown makes the nutrients more available for your body to absorb.
- Many people who are sensitive to gluten (not celiac) can tolerate sourdough because of the fermentation of the grains.
- Short ingredients list, free of artificial preservatives, organic flour.

Storing sourdough

some tips for keeping your loaf fresh

Because of the long-fermenting process, sourdough bread is naturally more shelf-stable than yeasted bread. The natural acidity of sourdough discourages the growth of bacteria and mold. However, the outer crust can become hard over time, so here are some tips for maintaining the ideal texture.

The goal in storing sourdough is to keep the outside crusty and the inside soft. Keep in mind that you want to let the bread “breathe,” so avoid airtight storage options. Some ideas for breathable bread storage:
- Wrap loaf in 1-3 tea towels and store on the counter or in a bread box at room temperature
- Leave loaf out on a cutting board or plate, cut side down, with the rest of the loaf covered by a tea towel
- Place loaf in a linen or cotton bread bag
- Wrap loaf in a tea towel and place inside a brown paper bag

Storing in a resealable plastic bag or other airtight container will yield a soft outer crust (possibly even soggy). Sourdough is known for its crusty outer layer, but if you prefer a softer crust, storing it in plastic is okay. However, beware of moisture that may lead to mold growth.

Always store sourdough at room temperature. Avoid storing bread in the fridge; the cool, dry environment will cause the loaf to quickly become too hard.

If you find that your loaf has dried out, you can revive it by sprinkling a little bit of water on the outer crust (just enough to make it slightly damp). Place the loaf in a 250° oven for 5-10 minutes until it becomes warm. Watch it closely so that it does not become too dried out.

Additionally, you can still enjoy sourdough that has dried out and/or hardened by spreading butter on a slice and toasting it, making a grilled cheese sandwich, French toast, croutons, breadcrumbs. See my links page for more ideas!

Sourdough is best eaten within the first two days of baking. If you want to enjoy your loaf after the first two days, I recommend freezing it. To freeze, slice the bread first and then lay flat in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Once the slices are frozen, remove them from the cookie sheet and place in a resealable bag or storage container. You can quickly thaw the frozen slices in a toaster, or you can allow the slices to thaw at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Pizza dough

baking instructions

Remove pizza dough from fridge 1-2 hours prior to baking. Dust dough with flour and place on a floured sheet of parchment paper. Let sit untouched for approximately 1-2 hours to come to room temperature.

Place a baking steel or pizza stone in the top third of your oven. Preheat oven to 550° (or as hot as your oven will get), and allow to heat for one hour prior to baking.

*If you don’t have a baking steel or stone, you can use a large cast iron skillet or standard baking sheet. If using a baking sheet, you do not have to preheat in the oven for an hour.

After dough has come to room temperature, shape it into an approximately 8-inch round, keeping it on the parchment paper. Use your hands to gently press dough out; do not use a rolling pin. You want to try to preserve the air pockets in the dough.

Add desired toppings to pizza dough. Be careful not to overload the dough with heavy toppings. You want to allow the dough to develop air bubbles as it bakes by keeping the toppings light.

Transfer the parchment paper and pizza from the work surface onto a pizza peel (or large cutting board). Shimmy the parchment paper and pizza onto the preheated pizza stone in the oven. Bake until top is blistered, approximately 5-6 minutes.

This pizza dough is super easy, and you really can’t mess it up. But in case you are a visual learner like me, click here for a video tutorial that you don’t NEED, but may be helpful :)
OH HEY, FOR BEST VIEWING, YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR PHONE