It’s a Girl! + Jam Making, Florida Baking, and the Best Discard Crackers Ever
Well… it’s official—we’re having a GIRL!! 🎀💗
My daughter had her ultrasound and we just found out the news. We were all convinced it was going to be a boy (like, not a doubt in our minds)—but nope! God surprised us with a sweet baby girl and we could not be more thrilled. I’m already dreaming of tiny dresses and soft quilts and maybe a little pink apron for sourdough baking with Gam (that sounds so weird to me still) one day. 😭🥹
Minnesota summers are short and to make sure we didn’t miss the tail end of Minnesota strawberry season, Ruth-Anna and I went strawberry picking. We loaded up our buckets, and by evening, I had a pot of jam bubbling away on the stove. Homemade strawberry jam is a non-negotiable in this house—especially when you have fresh sourdough English muffins on hand. There’s just something so right about warm sourdough with a swipe of butter and a spoonful of summer.
As if that weren’t enough, I also picked up a box of Georgia peaches from one of those traveling fruit trucks (if you know, you know), and yes—more jam making ensued. Peach jam, strawberry jam, and I managed to freeze a few ziploc bags of fruit for later. It was a full-on preserving party.
Then we packed up and flew down to Florida, where I taught another Sourdough for Beginners class - by the way, I have an Online LIVE Sourdough Class coming up this Saturday July 12th via Zoom, join me if interested - Click Here.
And yes, before you ask, I travel with my starter. 😂 It’s part of the family at this point.
Here’s my airport routine: Before heading out, I give my starter a stiff feeding (1.5x flour to water), scoop about 30g into a little Ziploc bag, and tuck it into my carry-on. Once I land in Florida, I scrape it into a clean jar, feed it again—and boom, it’s alive and well. “Phoebe”, my starter, is a seasoned traveler by now.
Speaking of classes—I’ve just partnered with five venues in the Twin Cities! Starting mid-July, I’ll be teaching sourdough workshops at wineries, breweries, and golf courses across the area. My first in person class will be held in Hastings, MN at Alexis Bailly Vineyard July 19th. Check it out HERE. I’ll be posting dates and locations of additional locations very soon, so if you’re in Minnesota, keep an eye out!
One thing I have to mention: sourdough behaves so differently in Florida vs. Minnesota. And I’m not just talking about temperature. Sure, my FL condo stays around 75–78°F and has that warm humidity baked into the air—but even when I try to replicate the same environment in Minnesota (with my proofer and added moisture), it just doesn’t bake the same. Down south, my dough is glossy, pliable, practically perfect from the get-go. In MN, I have to work harder to get the same results. It’s wild. Apparently, 75°F in Florida is not the same as 75°F in Minnesota.
But then there’s the water… in Florida, I use tap water and it’s great, however in Minnesota we have very hard water, so I have a water softener and a water filtration system installed throughout the house, however that water makes my sourdough weak. I’ve experimented with it over and over and ended up buying Spring Water at the grocery store to use strictly for my starter. Go figure, but it made a difference, my starter loved that change.
My latest sourdough obsession:
Sourdough Discard Crackers.
These are ridiculously simple and totally addictive.
Here’s how I make them:
100g refrigerated discard starter
1 Tbsp olive oil or melted butter (I use butter)
Pinch of salt
Mix together, spread thin on parchment, sprinkle with toppings, and bake at 325°F for about 20–25 minutes until golden and crispy.
Break into rustic pieces and voilà! You’ve got yourself the best lavash-style crackers ever. (Note: if you’re using melted butter, let the discard sit in room temp from the fridge for a couple of hours before adding the butter as cold starter with immediately solidify and not blend in as well).
We love:
🌿 Rosemary & sea salt
🧄 Garlic & parmesan
🧅 Everything Bagel seasoning
🧂 Dill pickle seasoning
🍬 Cinnamon & sugar
⚪️ Sesame
I even keep extra starter in the fridge just for cracker-making. No shame in my discard game.
Currently reading: Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah.
If you know me, you know I love a layered story with strong women and a little historical heartache thrown in.
Recent purchase: Wooden cutting boards (Amazon affiliate link).
Plastic boards might be convenient, but they break down over time and release microplastics into your food. A study from the Environmental Science & Technology journal even highlighted this—search for “Cutting Boards: An Overlooked Source of Microplastics in Human Food?” if you're curious. Food for thought... literally.
Next stop: Gulf Shores, Alabama!
We’re heading there for our first big family reunion—my parents, my siblings, all the kids, everyone under one roof. It’s going to be a whirlwind of food, games, storytelling, and maybe a little beach time if we’re lucky. I’ll share all about it in the next post.
Hoping everyone had a safe and joy-filled 4th of July weekend!
Until next time,
—Elena 💛
The Sourdough Lady