Jenny Derrickson

Two healing journeys, connected by one loaf of sourdough. Sometimes, a customer walks into your life and reminds you exactly why you began. If you have visited Bread and More at the Wheaton French Market, you may have met Kathy and her sister, Valerie. Valerie’s daughter, Haven, is the sweet little girl who so often arrives carrying flowers for me. Their family has become very special to me but Kathy and I share a connection that can be difficult to put into words. Almost every time we see...

If you’ve entered the world of sourdough, chances are you’ve encountered discard. You feed your starter, remove some of it, add fresh flour and water...and then stare at that perfectly good little pile of starter wondering: Am I really supposed to throw this away?! Good news: you don’t have to. But here’s something else I want every new sourdough baker to know: You also don’t have to create huge amounts of discard in the first place. Let’s talk about what discard actually is, how to manage...

One of the questions I hear often is: "How do I make my sourdough taste more sour?" The answer isn't one magic trick. It's actually a combination of how you care for your starter and how you ferment your dough. At Bread and More, our sourdough has a much milder flavor than many people expect. That's intentional. I keep Frodough (yes, my starter has a name!) well-fed, healthy, and he lives on my countertop year-round. He almost never goes into the refrigerator unless I'm away on vacation. A...