Conquering Sourdough

As I approached the end of my inquiry post, I was feeling brave and wanted to attempt to make a sourdough loaf again. I wanted to revisit what initially inspired my inquiry project but was too scared to commit to it.

I fortunately had a friend who said they have a friend who could give me some of their sourdough starter, which is the most important and difficult part to create. With the gifted sourdough, I wanted to try a recipe I had tried before my inquiry project and had failed. See at the bottom, the before and after. I can happily say that this second time around was successful and I have conquered sourdough. The recipe is by Mckenna Clare on TikTok and I cut it into a quarter because I didn’t have enough starter. I really like how she shows every step from beginning to end and how to do the folds. I am very much a visual learner.

I think the sourdough starter was the key reason why it worked this time but also my attention to how bread works. You need to let it ferment, proof, grow, have bubbles and be a little sticky but not to the point it doesn’t pull off the bowl. All this knowledge I have learnt hands-on through my inquiry project.

What I learned about myself during this experience?

I personally think attempting sourdough again was a stretch and I am so proud of myself for even trying. Through this experience I learnt that I am more resilient than I sometimes think I am. I realize that just because it didn’t work the first time or first many times, doesn’t mean it won’t ever work and I should give up. It just means I am one step closer to understanding, solving the problems and figuring things out. By revisiting sourdough after my inquiry project I was able to apply my new knowledge and experiences successfully. I also learnt to use the resources (my friend’s sourdough starter) around me. It doesn’t mean I’ve cheated, I’ve in fact taken advantage of my support system and used it to grow my understanding and skills. I have discovered a new found appreciation for hands-on learning and reflections. I learnt that when I take the time to reflect, analyze my work, and adjust, I am more likely to overcome challenges.

How will I use this experience to inform my teaching practice?  

This experience has shown me the importance of hands-on learning, patience, reflecting, and trial and error, which I will most definitely bring into my teaching practice. Students will benefit from inquiring, experimenting, and reflecting. I’ve learned that the way you learn information is also very important. I will try to incorporate this into my teaching practice and allow students to learn their preferred ways. For example, I am a visual learner, therefore videos of recipes supported my learning. I will definitely take advantage of inquiry projects and let students engage, explore, and learn through their passions.