Welcome to Homegrown Handmade Life!
Hi, I’m Allison!
I started baking with sourdough back in 2017, but it wasn’t until 2019 (when the whole world seemed to rediscover sourdough at once) that I really fell in love with it. And honestly? At first, baking sourdough completely overwhelmed me. Between the terminology, the schedules, and recipes that read like science experiments, I almost gave up before I really started.
But the more I experimented, the more I realized sourdough doesn’t have to be complicated at all. In fact, I’ve come to believe it’s actually easier than baking with store-bought yeast – no packets to keep stocked, no guessing whether your yeast is still active, just a starter that tells you exactly what it needs. That shift, from intimidated to confident, is the whole reason this blog exists: I want to hand other home bakers the version of sourdough I wish someone had handed me.
What began with one starter on my kitchen counter has grown into hundreds (if not thousands) of loaves, a genuine love of discard recipes (nothing goes to waste in this kitchen), and eventually a grain mill of my own, so I could take that from-scratch mentality all the way back to the flour itself.
Every recipe you find here has been tested a full five times in my own kitchen before it’s ever posted. I don’t publish something until I know it works not just for me, but for a home baker trying it for the first time, in a different kitchen, with a different starter, on a different day. That’s the standard I hold every recipe to, because I remember exactly how discouraging it is to follow a recipe that doesn’t actually work.
I live on an old ranch farmhouse in the heart of Texas with my husband Steve, who’s usually knee-deep in whatever renovation project we’ve taken on this month, and our two kids, Cody and Emma, who I also homeschool. Between lessons, chores, and the general chaos of a busy household, my kitchen is where I slow down. Sourdough, more than anything else, is what taught me to trust a process instead of rushing it.
What you’ll find here:
- Sourdough — approachable, well-tested recipes and the troubleshooting knowledge I wish I’d had when I started, for everything from your first loaf to more advanced bakes.
- Sourdough Discard — creative, low-waste recipes that put your extra starter to work instead of down the drain.
- Fresh Milled Flour — what I’ve learned taking sourdough one step further, milling my own grain for better flavor and nutrition.
I also share a bit of our wider homestead life along the way — but baking is where my heart really is, and it’s the reason this site exists.
Have a question, a recipe that didn’t turn out right, or just want to say hi? Email me at [email protected]. I do my best to read and respond to every message sent.
Thanks for being here. Grab your starter, and let’s start baking!