TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Her first loaf might have been a flop, but a local baker persevered and grew a business by making sourdough. Now she is expanding that business by offering sourdough classes to others.
“When I made my first edible loaf, it was the most excited I had ever been,” said Jalyn Price, owner of Sunshine and Sourdough.
Price said she originally began baking 10 loaves to sell at her local farmer market in 2023, and she now bakes hundreds of loaves to stock at stores in Bixby, Coweta, Muskogee, Tahlequah, and Park Hill – all in Northeast Oklahoma.
“It took me a while to gain the confidence to feel like baking sourdough could be more than just a hobby,” Price said.
Last December, she decided to expand her business by offering sourdough baking classes, without increasing the amount of time she spends actively baking.
“I’m really excited; I love teaching it,” Price said during a session last weekend. “We will be making a starter – I have brought my own discard. Participants will be feeding it to take home, and we will make a loaf they will be able to bake at home.”
Price described a starter as a mixture of flour and water that has naturally cultured wild yeast and fermented, creating the distinct flavor of sourdough.
According to Price, in addition to the starter, participants also took home a banneton, which is a type of proofing basket.
“It is a bowl that allows dough to breathe and still hold its shape,” Price said. “They are really helpful.”
Price said her recent class at the Keys Community Building was the fourth she has taught.
“I want people to realize that sourdough is not complicated,” Price said. “There are rules, but they are not hard and fast.”
After lots of practice, Price said, she’s gotten to a point where she can make a loaf by feel, and by eyeballing the measurements. For this class, participants measured the ingredients by grams.
In addition to making loaves of sourdough and feeding a starter, participants also sampled a sourdough loaf, as well as other treats made from sourdough discard, such as cookies, scones, and crackers.
“Discard can be used as a thickening agent for things like pot pies,” Price said.
She described discard as a portion of unfed starter. Typically during the feeding process, half of the starter is removed before feeding, and it can be thrown away or used in a variety of recipes, according to Price. After removing the discard, Price said, feeding the starter is as simple as adding in flour and water, in equal amounts to the existing starter.
Hannah Hitchcock, a college student, wanted to take the class because she has always wanted to learn how to make sourdough. She attended with her mom, Jennifer Hitchcock.
“I’ve always wanted to learn how to make sourdough bread, but I’ve never made the time to do it,” Jennifer said. “ Looking at recipes online and reading about it is not the same as watching someone do it, and learning how to do it in a hands-on way.”
Billye Jimerson was invited by Jennifer to attend the class, and it sounded fun.
“I’m excited to learn how to make and feed the starter,” Jimerson said. “I got one for Christmas.”
Jimerson and the Hitchcocks all said the idea of having to feed a starter sounded intimidating.
Paige Fleetwood said she was taking the class because she liked how sourdough tastes.
“You also can’t buy it anywhere, so I want to learn how to make it,” she said.
Her sister, Hannah Taylor, said she already enjoys baking as a hobby.
“And it’s a good way to spend time together as sisters,” Taylor said.
Another participant, Katy Nelson, said she was looking for something fun and new to do. Jessie Hughes just wanted to learn how to make bread, so she attended the class with her son, Isaac Hughes. “Isaac is an aspiring chef,” Jessie said.
Isaac said burgers are his favorite things to make. They had recently made a no-knead style of bread.
To make loaves, Price guided participants through weighing out 100 grams of sourdough starter, and mixing it with 375 grams of water. Then participants added 500 grams of flour to make what Price called “a shaggy dough.” After this, salt and more water were added before the dough rested.
While the dough was resting, Price walked participants through how to feed a starter. After resting, she showed attendees how to stretch and fold the dough.
Price said sourdough doesn’t require kneading like other styles of bread. By the end of the class, attendees had a shaped loaf, which they took home in their bannetons to bake the next day at home. Participants also took home several sourdough recipes to try in the future.
Check it out
Jalyn Price will be hosting another Intro to Sourdough class, Feb. 21, at 5 p.m. at the Keys Community Building. For more information, or to register, call Price at 918-207-2313.