Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipes and Videos

My son recently got a new job and brings a turkey sandwich to work every day for lunch.  And to keep up with his bread-consumption and make it easier for him, I've been buying loaves of non-organic white bread every week.  Yuck!  (And even just the thought of turkey every day makes me gag.  I don't know how he can stand it.)   

I hate it that I have to buy non-organic white bread, but he's a picky eater and won't eat the heavy whole-wheat organic ones, especially if they have seeds or nuts in them.  But that seems to be all I can find out here lately.  

And while the organic, artisan-type loaves of sourdough I've been baking are wonderful (I'll share my recipe and process eventually), they're too large and holey for his sandwiches.  So we've been stuck with the non-organic white bread for now.

But no more!  I'm sick of it.  And I hate feeding it to him.  And so it's time to find a good sourdough sandwich bread recipe, one that makes a nice, softer, tighter-crumbed loaf of sourdough that slices thin and holds together well (and freezes nicely, because we always freeze the extras - sourdough freezes and thaws beautifully).  

Hopefully one of these will work.  It's worth a try.   

Baker Bettie (video): Sourdough Sandwich Bread Full Process, Soft Sourdough Loaf (I want to try this one next)... and here's the written recipe on a blog post: "Sourdough Sandwich Bread"

Lovely Bell Bakes (blog): "Super Soft Fresh Milled Sourdough Sandwich Bread"

Farmhouse on Boone (blog): "Sourdough Sandwich Bread"

Wagon Wheel Farmstead (blog): "Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread, Easy Recipe"

Feast and Farm Cooks (video): Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (easy beginner recipe)

Muscle Momma Sourdough (video): Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread, step by step beginners guide... (and written recipe)

The Bread Code (a video that's not about sandwich bread but helpful in general, and I really enjoy this guy for some reason, maybe it's his accent or neighborly personality): 18 Sourdough Basics you should know

Videos on Baking Sourdough Bread

One of the most relaxing things for me lately has been watching videos of people making and baking sourdough bread.  And as a bonus, it's not only relaxing, but informative, productive, and rewarding, too.  A great "waste of time."  Especially if you actually bake the sourdough bread instead of just watching the videos😁. 

Anyway, here are some of the videos I enjoyed the most and found the most helpful.  Some use scales to measure, and some don't.  Some use Dutch ovens to bake the bread, and some use bread pans.  Some do more prep, and some do less.  But they're all informative and enjoyable.  

In no particular order:

Farmhouse on Boone - Sourdough Bread for Beginners | NO KNEAD - YouTube

Alexandra's Kitchen - Simple Sourdough Bread: Step by Step 75% Hydration - YouTube

Grant Bakes - A Sourdough Masterclass for Home Bakers - YouTube

Lovely Bell Bakes - Daily Sourdough Bread with Fresh Milled Flour | Without a mixer

Preppy Kitchen - Amazing Sourdough Bread Recipe - YouTube

Healthy Elizabeth - My Easy GUIDE To Making Foolproof SOURDOUGH BREADS | BAKE WITH ME - YouTube

The Perfect Loaf - The Secret to Make the BEST Sourdough Bread 

Mary's Nest (a playlist): No Knead Sourdough Bread Recipe - FAST and FOOLPROOF

Homesteading with the Zimmerman's: Kate's SOFT SOURDOUGH SANDWICH BREAD - YouTube

Little Spoon Farm: Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread from Little Spoon Farm

LoveMeg 2.0: HOW TO MAKE THE BEST SOURDOUGH SANDWICH BREAD | EASY STEP BY STEP BEGINNERS GUIDE | LOVEMEG 2.0

Our Gabled Home: Bake A Delicious Sourdough Bread with Me - Even Beginners Can Do It!

Melissa K. Norris: Best Beginner Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe | HOMEMADE YEAST

Rustic Honey - Sourdough For A Year | What I've learned + favorite recipes for beginners - YouTube

Alexandra's Kitchen - Simple Sourdough Pizza + Pizza Margherita  - YouTube

And here's a blog post, on baking in a bread pan: Can You Bake Sourdough In A Loaf Pan? - The Pantry Mama

And here's a blog post with the sourdough recipe I use: Sourdough Bread Recipe - Sugar Spun Run.  But I usually bake it in a Dutch oven instead of a loaf pan.  

   

[And see here for the videos I like on starting a sourdough starter.]

Meet Mr. Bean, my sourdough starter

During the pandemic and lockdown - Ahh, remember that!  Good times!😒 - many people started making sourdough as a way to pass the time.  But I was too busy watching/reading Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and reading many biographies on C.S. Lewis.  (Love it!)  

But I have recently jumped on the sourdough bandwagon too, and I'm totally loving it!  

Years ago, I tried to start a sourdough starter from scratch but totally failed (I realize now that I was adding way too much water, drowning it).  And so I gave up for years.  But then after hearing a friend rave about how much she loves her sourdough starter (named Calico the Wonder Horse) and loves making sourdough bread, I decided to try again this past January...

Low-sugar Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Banana Breakfast Cake

I realized the other day that I had a jar of peanut butter I had to use up soon.  And when I opened my freezer, I found three frozen bananas.  And that's how this cake came about.  It's a thick cake and sticks to your mouth, but it's filling and low-sugar, making it great for breakfast.

Grease a 9x13 pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a big bowl, mix these together:

3 mashed bananas

1/3 cup to 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup to 1 1/2 cup water (I actually used an 11.1 oz. container of coconut water that I had to use up)
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup softened butter or oil (I used olive oil)

Then mix and add the dry ingredients:

4 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cocoa powder

1 cup chocolate chips

(Add a bit more water if too thick or a bit more flour if too thin, enough to make a thick batter)

Pour into greased pan, sprinkle a spoonful of sugar on top.  Bake for about 50 minutes or till done, covering with foil last 15 minutes if necessary.

Let it cool then eat (and store leftovers in the fridge).

At least someone's willing to say it!

I'm glad to see that someone is finally waking up to what's really going on, wise enough to take off the blinders, and willing to say what needs to be said:

After advocating for COVID-19 vaccination for over a year, Ben Shapiro says he was deceived: "We were lied to by everyone"

If only he'd realized this a year ago (which many of us did realize early on, being distrustful of what we believe is crooked, high-level collusion between many powerful people that has resulted in an unscientific, Orwellian narrative on this whole thing that is destroying our society, economy, health, and freedoms), he could've been a strong advocate for personal choice, a wise voice of reason against the vaccine mandates ("illegal and wicked vaccine mandates," in my estimation - no one should be forced to inject themselves with something they don't want to, no one should lose their jobs because they won't inject themselves with a foreign, questionable substance).  But at least he's starting to see it now and willing to speak up.

Thank you, Ben.  May the light continue to overcome the darkness.  

Update: And another person is seeing it and willing to speak up: 

Still think it wasn't a "plandemic"?

Watch this 2-minute clip, and see if you still think this whole coronavirus thing wasn't planned from the beginning:

BOMBSHELL: Video emerges where Fauci and others planned for a "Universal mRNA Flu Vaccine" which became the "COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine" because people were not afraid enough of the flu virus

Sounds a little familiar, doesn't it?  

An mRNA "vaccine" has been planned and they want people to take it ... but because it would take a decade to properly test it and get people to put faith in it, they need some sort of major disruption that would cause so much "excitement" that it would bypass "bureaucratic strings and processes," to circumvent the normal process of vaccine production and testing.  (That alone is very telling, that they know it should take a decade to do it all safely and to get people on board properly.  And yet, this coronavirus "vaccine" - a brand new type - was produced, tested, and shoved into most people's arms in just over a year after the virus spread worldwide.) 

Herbal or Homeopathic Remedies I use for Anxiety

[An excerpt from this post: Help for Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Thoughts] 

... Also, if you need it, do not be ashamed to get counseling or medication.  I think it's far worse to fall into a pit of despair than to get a little help.  After one of my most recent anxiety attacks which caused me so much stress that my neck got all tight, which caused me to have such a neck pain that I threw up every hour for half a day, which caused me to not have any food or water or sleep, which caused me to wake up at 3 in the morning and pass out into my husband's arms on the bathroom floor (I laid there barely able to move, thinking "I could die right now if I wanted to," and then my husband fed me ice chips till I felt a tiny bit better) ... I decided that I had to try taking something to help my anxiety.  I am not ready for medication yet, but I did look into herbal remedies.  While they don't take away the anxiety fully (can anything really?), they do take the edge off or help me sleep easier.  

Research everything for yourself, but I like herbal teas for stress or sleep (particularly with chamomile or passionflower or ashwaganda) ... and chamomile or lavender pills ... and Herb Pharm's "Relaxing Sleep" herbal supplement (it's disgusting but it helps, so put a dropperful in a tiny bit of orange juice before bed and take it like a shot) ... and Herb Pharm's "Passionflower" and "Good Mood" herbal supplements ... and Genexa Stress Relief tablets, and Bach's "Rescue Pastilles" (little homeopathic "candies" you suck on when you feel anxiety coming) ... and Bach's "Rescue Sleep Liquid Melts" ... and those little homeopathic "pearls" that you put under your tongue, particularly chamomilla, coffea cruda (my husband takes this when he starts buzzing after too much coffee, which can feel like anxiety coming on) and, my preferred one to take at the first tickle of anxiety, ignatia amara.  (I actually prefer Ollois brand of organic homeopathic pearls when I can get them.  FYI, I am linking to these sites just to show you the product, not because I order from them.  I get mine from our local Fresh Thyme store.)  

I believe God put a lot of good, healing properties in plants, and we would be fools not to utilize them.  And you know what?  Even if this stuff was just placebo, which I don't believe it is, I wouldn't care.  I'd still take them.  Because when you suffer from anxiety or depression, you'll take any help you can get, even if - especially if - it's just in your head.  Because, oftentimes, that's where the anxiety and depression stem from anyway.

Are you sure your "vaccine" is approved?

So are you really sure that you're really going to get an FDA-approved jab next time you roll up your sleeves?

Read this (I have no idea what these websites are, I'm just sharing these articles) and see if you still think that:

FDA Does Bait and Switch with Moderna's COVID Vaccine, Fully Approved "Spikevax"

This sounds to me like the same thing that happened with the Pfizer jab.

What we did when we got the virus

We always expected the virus would eventually hit us, but we managed to escape it … until last month.  We knew it was going around my husband’s work, and so, feeling it heading our way, I stocked up on a bunch of food and vitamins and immune-boosters.  Just in case. 

And several days later, we got our first positive.  Not through my husband’s work, ironically, but through my son’s.  Three days later, two more of us tested positive.  I expected all six of us to get it, but only three of us got it (the 12-21-year-olds).  (And yes, we all quarantined for 14 days.  Because that’s the incubation period for those still testing negative.) 

Thankfully, it ended up being quite mild for us.  (Who knows, but maybe if us 40+-year-olds got it, it might’ve been worse.  I know a few adults around my age who got it pretty rough, and a few elderly people who died from it.)  

The first to get it was already getting better before he even tested positive.  He had one or two days of a 101-degree temperature which went down to the 99-degree range for a few more days, and he lost his taste/smell on the third day, but that’s about all he got.  The second had a mild fever (mostly 99.4-100.5) for a week, which spiked to 101.9 after he took a bath on day 6, and a small cough (which sounded maybe a little "goose-like," the only way I can think to describe it).  And the third son was barely sick at all, just a very mild temp and the feeling of being a little “under the weather,” but we tested him anyway and it was positive, but with a super-faint line because he was already almost all done with it before we even knew he was sick.  And my fourth son who normally gets hit the hardest with illness, who gets the highest temperatures and picks up infections easier than the rest of us, never got sick.  (Thank you, God!) 

All in all, it was about 10-12 days of mild fever in the house (fevers lasted about 6 days per person).  10-12 days of me running around taking temperatures, checking coughs, making soup, serving tea, and dishing out various immune-boosters to help us as much as possible.  And I thought I’d share what we did to treat it, in case anyone else is looking for ideas.

Using Essential Oils during Sick Season

Since we are headed into sick season (and have been in it for almost 2 years now), I thought I'd compile a few of my favorite, commonly-used essential oil recipes, for easy reference.

 

FYI: There are some essential oils that should not be used around pets (particularly tea tree oil), so research the oils you use before diffusing it in the same room as your pet.  And there are some that are not recommended for use on or around small children (or those with compromised immune systems).  Research the oils you use before using them if you have pets, little kids, or people with health issues.  I will add notes about using essential oils around children at the bottom of this post, and recommendations for dilution ratios.  (Also see “My Basic Safety Rules for Essential Oils.”)  NEVER use essential oils directly on skin without diluting first.  And dilute it more for younger kids.  I created the recipes below for my family’s use, for kids aged 10 and up.  And we all have averagely-healthy immune systems.  (All the oils listed in these recipes are Essential Oils, not fragrance or flavor oils.)

Can We All Agree On This Much About The "Vac$ine"?

I'm going to be starting up this blog again, posting (among other things) about a passion of mine: Books.  But first, I want to get this out of the way...

I'm sure no one wants to hear yet another opinion about the dang viru$ and "vac$ine" (and so don't read this if you don't want to).  But, even though I have very strong opinions about all this and very strong reasons for my opinions (I'll be fiercely biting my tongue trying to keep the bulk of my thoughts and my sarcasm to myself), I will say this much about it ... and then I'll move on:

"My Corona Blend": An Essential Oil Blend for Diffusers

(Great, now I'll be singing "My Sharona" all day!)

This is an essential oil blend I made to put in our diffusers at night while we are facing this coronavirus pandemic.  I picked oils that are known for their powerful anti-viral properties, that are good against colds/flu/fever/infectious diseases, that are good for lung/respiratory health, and that help stimulate the immune system.  (I call it "My Corona Blend" for my own reference, but I make no promises about its ability to defeat the Coronavirus.)

What I Stocked Up On, in case of Lockdown or Quarantine (with simple recipes)

(The memes are from here.)

This is some of what I stocked up on (with a few recipes at the end) as the Coronavirus panic took hold of our country.  I made sure to only buy what I knew we would use up by the expiration dates, and I spread it out over several shopping trips.  I'm not stocking up out of concern that we'll be on lockdown or quarantined.  (We're homeschooling homebodies anyway, so as long we don't get the virus, we'll be fine.  Which is good, because - surprise! - we just got put on lockdown.)  I'm stocking up more out of concern that this will have economic repercussions, affecting the country's future food supply.  Maybe not huge repercussions, but ones that will make us realize how much we took for granted before.  (My bedroom looks more like a fall-out shelter, full of food and supplies.)  

My "Every Day" Essential Oil Diffuser Blend for Staying Healthy

I have been using this essential oil blend every night all winter in the diffusers I keep in everyone's bedrooms.  Last winter, I used a similar one every night all winter.  (And I run one during the day in the living room.)  

Last winter, we only had one mild cold go through the house for the 6 of us, and this winter we got the flu once in February and a small cold this week.  Last winter was the first time I put diffusers in everyone's bedrooms and ran them every night, and last winter was the first time we didn't get the several sicknesses and the really bad, week-long flu (almost always between Christmas and New Year) that we got practically every winter before that.  I would like the think the diffusers made a big difference!

This is the blend I made and used all winter:

Homemade "Spiced" Hand-Sanitizer with Essential Oils

Two Posts in One:

Post #1: Homemade Hand Sanitizer With Aloe
This is a repost of a recipe I posted almost exactly 3 years ago, to the day - 3/3/17.  (How funny!  I had no idea it was almost the exact same date when I decided to repost it now.)  With the coronavirus going around (and the panic surrounding it), it seems like a good time to share this recipe again.  

Best Perfume For Those Who Hate Perfume!

I have a super-sensitive sense of smell.  I can't stand candles.  I can't walk down the cleaning supply aisle.  And I am not a big fan of wearing perfume, simply because I know it's just a bunch of chemicals.  

But I do want to still smell decent when I am out and about.  And so I discovered what - for me - is the best "perfume" to use.

Vanilla Essential Oil 

I don't think it's technically an essential oil, but more like an essence of vanilla in jojoba oil.  But it is a natural product.  And so it doesn't have an overwhelming or chemical smell.  It's light and sweet.  I simply drop a couple drops of the prediluted oil onto my forearms and rub it in.  And if I am desperate for deodorant, I'll even rub a couple drops under my arms.  (Mine is from the NOW brand of essential oils.)

Every time I wear it, my kids ask "What smells like sugar cookies?" or "What smells like marshmallows?"

I will even lightly rub it into my hair so that my hair smells like vanilla.  (FYI, it's a very light scent that doesn't last long.  But I'd rather have a hint of vanilla for a little while than an overwhelming chemical smell for a long time.)

Another good idea is to use the prediluted flower essential oils.  Dilute a couple drops of a flower oil with a carrier oil, and rub on your body.  I particularly like the neroli, rose, and jasmine essential oils.  It's a very uncomplicated smell, just light, floral, and sweet.  Not too shabby!

Super Simple Essential Oil Blends for Cold/Flu

Okay, I think it's time to start adding more posts to this blog - starting with a couple of super-simple essential oil blends that I made for this cold and flu season.  

I keep these two blends in separate bottles.  They are straight, not diluted with carrier oil, so that I can use them in a diffuser or add them to carrier oil as needed, and so that I can blend them or use them separately as needed.  It's more versatile this way.  

Fighting Back A Panic Attack

As I’ve already written about, I had a panic attack last summer for the first time.  As anyone who’s had a panic attack knows, they are horrible.  They wreck you inside and out, and then leave you feeling fragile for a very long time after.  I would dare say they change you permanently.  I’m still feeling the effects of this “fragileness” and I’ve noticed that I don’t eat like I used to before the attack.

Anyway, as I reflect back on that attack and the unsteadiness I’ve felt since then, I realized that there are several factors that contributed to it.  And I’m going to summarize these factors (some are variations of others) and give possible ways to deal with them.  Maybe someone else can find a little help in these and ward off a panic attack, stopping it before it overtakes them.

Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome is so much fun!

            I wanted to share this in case anyone else is dealing with it and is wondering what’s going on.

            A couple years ago, I began dealing with something called Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome.  It’s a mysterious “we don’t know what’s causing this or what to do about it” kind of thing. 

            For me, it presented itself as getting a severe stomach cramp (which felt like incredible hunger) and then needing to throw up the rest of the night.  Also, lights and sounds and smells would bother me and make me feel sicker, so I would have to hide in a dark room whenever I wasn't hugging the toilet and crying.  But in the morning, I would be fine.

            The thing is … it always happened right before my period.

            The first couple times it happened, it was the night before my period.  But eventually it shifted to the week before.  And this happened for a year.

            As I researched what could be causing this once-a-month vomiting spell, I ran across Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome on-line.  Apparently, it’s like an “abdominal migraine,” which would explain the sensitivity to lights and sounds and smells.  But they have no idea what causes it.

Lavender Essential Oil and Tea Tree Oil for Owies, Bug Bites, and General Wellness

            (Auto-correct doesn’t think “owie” is the right spelling.  But I think it’s just fine.)

            By far, the best essential oils for bug bites and general owies are lavender and tea tree oil.  Always keep these on hand to tackle any mystery bump or bite (diluted in carrier oil, of course).

            I became a loyal fan of lavender when I saw a few drops of it heal a red, hot, spreading spider bite on my toddler, a growing skin infection (cellulitis, I believe) from a mosquito bite, and a blood infection that was a black line travelling up someone’s arm from an infected burn.  It only took a couple drops, and all of these things went away completely.  The blood infection vanished within two hours of applying the oil once and the infected bites within two days after applying it a couple times each day.  (This was before I knew to dilute them, though.  I strongly believe in diluting them now so that you don’t become sensitized to them.)

            And my husband had a bad spider bite on his knee that made his knee hot and swollen and red.  We tried various oils on it, but the only one that worked was Tea Tree Oil.  It healed it within a few days.

            If you only ever buy two oils, make it these two.