Starting With Sourdough

Starting Sourdough

Three steps to your first loaf

1. Wake up your starter

Our freeze-dried starter comes back to life in your kitchen in just a few days. No guessing where to begin.

2. Follow a schedule that fits your life

Sourdough works around you, not the other way around. Cooler temps slow it down, so you can bake on your timeline.

3. Bake, and keep it fresh

Pull your first loaf out of the oven, then store it in a beeswax bread bag so it stays fresh longer than it would in plastic.

**Free: Your First Loaf Timeline**

A simple printable schedule that shows you exactly when to feed, mix, shape, and bake, built around a busy week.

Sourdough For Busy People Guide

You want to make sourdough.
You just don't think you can.

Maybe you've watched someone pull a gorgeous loaf out of the oven and thought, "I would love to do that." Then you saw the 14-step recipe, the feeding charts, the talk of hydration percentages, and you closed the tab.

Or maybe you tried once. You followed the instructions exactly, and your starter went flat, or your loaf came out dense as a brick. You decided sourdough was for people with more time, more patience and more know-how than you have.

We hear some version of this every week:

"I don't have time to babysit a starter."

"I work all day. I can't be home every few hours to fold dough."

"It seems so complicated. I'll mess it up."

"I killed my last starter, so I'm clearly not a bread person."

If any of those sound like you, this page is for you.

Annabella Figliomeni

Absolutely fantastic!!!
I love everything about this order and the instructions and recipes are so easy and well guided! Thank you very much!

Autumn Townsend

My Freeze Dried starter from Five Oaks has been the only starter that ive been able to successfully grow without any difficulty. It has finally given me a start into the sourdough world!! Baking perfect loaves by day 6/7.

You don't need a free Saturday to bake sourdough.

Sourdough has a reputation for being complicated, fussy, and time consuming. It doesn't have to be. We teach sourdough for busy people, and we built this page to get you from zero to your first loaf without the overwhelm.

The myths that keep you from starting.

Here's the truth: sourdough has a PR problem.

Most sourdough advice comes from hobby bakers chasing the perfect open crumb, with lots of free time on the weekend. That's a fine hobby. It's just not how real families need to bake. Here's what we tell every busy beginner:

Myth: "Sourdough takes all day." 
It takes all day to rise. You're only working for a few minutes at a time. The dough does the waiting while you go to work, run carpool or sleep.

Myth: "You have to feed your starter every day." 
A healthy starter can sit in the fridge between bakes. You feed it when you're ready to bake, not on someone else's schedule.

Myth: "You need to be precise and experienced." 
You need a few good tools and a simple routine. The tools take the guesswork out, so your first loaf can be a good one.

Myth: "If my first loaf flops, I'm not cut out for this." 
Every baker has made a flat loaf. Even a "flop" usually makes great toast. And we'll walk you through what to adjust next time. We also send enough freeze dried starter for two batches. If you struggle the first time, we have a built in backup plan.

Let's Get Baking!
I've never baked bread. Can I really do this?

Yes! The starter comes with free recipes, and the bundles come with a guide or course to walk you through each step.

Most of the time is hands off. The dough does the work while you go about your day. If you run out of time, you can slide it in the fridge and come back to it at a more convenient time.

Warmth, flour and feeding ratio make the biggest difference, and the instructions cover how to troubleshoot all three. If that doesn't work, we are just an email away. <3

Lori McElligott

Literally amazing and perfect! I ordered this and once I stayed, at one week baked the best sourdough! Excellent packaging and instruction. 100% recommend!
Thank you for sharing your love of sourdough with us up and comers!

Sharon Van Der Walde

A fork is good but this is great!
I've been using a fork to mix my starter and decided to try a spurtle. Why did I wait so long? Toss the fork and grab a spurtle and notice how your mood instantly changes! Bringing joy back into sourdough making one spurtle at a time!

Everything You Need For Your First Loaf

Get the Starter Kit

Five Oaks Baker’s Collection
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Five Oaks Baker’s Collection
Sale price$176.00
Sourdough Essentials Bundle
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Sourdough Essentials Bundle
Sale priceFrom $102.00
Starting Sourdough Strong
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Starting Sourdough Strong
Sale price$142.00
Your First Loaf Bundle
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Your First Loaf Bundle
Sale price$42.00

The Solution

Sourdough that works around your week

At Five Oaks Farm, we teach sourdough for busy people. Our goal is simple: make real sourdough as easy and convenient as possible, so it becomes part of your routine instead of another thing on your to-do list.

Here's how our approach is different:

  1. Short hands-on steps. Each step takes minutes, not hours. Mix in the evening, shape in the morning, bake when it suits you.
  2. A schedule that bends. Got a workday, a ball game or a late night? The fridge is your pause button. We show you exactly where you can stop and pick back up.
  3. Tools that do the hard part. The right bag, starter and supplies keep your dough happy and your kitchen clean, so you're not guessing.
  4. Real help when you get stuck. We are always one email away. Send us pictures, ask questions and have someone that has experience help.

You bring 10 minutes here and there. We'll bring everything else.

Start Here For Free