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Ally and Leah are back down the Rabbit Hole for a casual conversation about sourdough experiments, bakery field trips, and the stories we tell through bread.

Inspired by Sourdough Culture by Eric Pallant, Leah creates a sourdough starter from scratch for the first time—funky smells, mysterious liquid, daily feedings and all. Meanwhile, Ally compares a traditional flour-and-water starter with one made using pineapple juice. They discuss false rises, acidity, starter pH, unpleasant early-stage bacteria and whether the pineapple juice method actually makes creating a starter easier.

Then they recap their visit to Beloved’s Bakery & Café in Reno, Nevada, where they sampled sourdough bread, bialys, pretzels and an impressive assortment of laminated pastries.

Finally, they go deep on inclusions in bread. Are jalapeño cheddar and cranberry walnut loaves simply delicious products that customers love—or can inclusions become something more? Ally and Leah explore how local, seasonal and culturally meaningful ingredients can help bakers differentiate their work, celebrate their communities and turn a loaf of bread into a story.

This episode is an invitation to experiment, stay curious and consider not only what goes into your bread, but why it belongs there.

KEYWORDS

sourdough starter, pineapple juice sourdough starter, pineapple starter method, how to make sourdough starter, starter from scratch, sourdough culture, Eric Pallant, Debra Wink, sourdough starter pH, sourdough false rise, sourdough bacteria, beginner sourdough, bread inclusions, sourdough inclusions, artisan bread, artisan bakery, Beloved’s Bakery Reno, whole grain bread, local grain, cottage bakery, bakery business, seasonal bread, jalapeño cheddar sourdough, community baking, Saving Bread podcast, Matriarch Bread

LINKS & MENTIONS

Sourdough Culture by Eric Pallant
https://www.ericpallant.com/book/sourdough-culture/

Debra Wink’s Pineapple Juice Solution — Part One
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10856/pineapple-juice-solution-part-1

Debra Wink’s Pineapple Juice Solution — Part Two
https://www.thefreshloaf.com/10901/pineapple-juice-solution-part-2

Kathryn Shields — Amore Fermentum
Instagram: @amore_fermentum
https://www.instagram.com/amore_fermentum/

Laila — The Early Rise
Instagram: @theearlyrisebaker
https://www.instagram.com/theearlyrisebaker/

Alexandra Allen — Wild Woman Bakery
Instagram: @wildwomanbakery
https://www.instagram.com/wildwomanbakery/

Beloved’s Bakery & Café
299 E Plumb Lane, Suite 129
Reno, Nevada
https://www.belovedsbread.com/
Instagram: @belovedsbread
https://www.instagram.com/belovedsbread/

Love, Yvonne Cakes
Instagram: @love.yvonne
https://www.instagram.com/_love.yvonne_/

Graison Gill
Instagram: @graisongill
https://www.instagram.com/graisongill/

Sarah Owens
Instagram: @sarah_c_owens
https://www.instagram.com/sarah_c_owens/

Music by Joshua from DOPE.