So I finally took a crack at making sourdough from scratch and honestly it went way better than I expected. I found a starter recipe online that just uses flour and water and after about a week it was bubbly and ready to go. The first loaf came out a little flat but the crust was perfect and the inside had that nice chewy texture. I think I overproofed it slightly so next time I will cut back on the bulk ferment by an hour or so. My neighbor gave me some of her discard and I made crackers which were incredible. I have been sending photos to my sister who bakes all the time and she gave me a few pointers on shaping. It is surprisingly relaxing to work with dough even when it sticks to everything. I am already planning my next bake maybe a whole wheat version or I will add some sesame seeds on top. If you have never tried it I would say go for it even if the first few loaves look rough they still taste great. My kitchen smells amazing and honestly the whole process forces you to slow down which is nice. I also tried a no-knead recipe that was even easier so I might stick with that one going forward. Let me know if you want the link to the starter guide I used. It made everything really approachable and the instructions were clear.

I started listening to that true crime podcast you recommended and I am completely hooked. I binged the first six episodes last night while folding laundry and suddenly it was past midnight. The host has a really calm voice which makes the disturbing details somehow easier to process. I keep going back and forth on whether I think the neighbor was involved or if it was just a series of unfortunate coincidences. The way they layered the timeline in episode four was really clever and I did not see that twist coming at all. I told my brother about it and he ended up listening to the first three episodes that same evening so now we text each other theories after every episode. I am trying not to look ahead at the comments or any online forums because I want to form my own opinion first. The production quality is surprisingly good for an independent show and the interviews feel genuine rather than sensationalized. I have a long drive coming up this weekend and I am planning to queue up the rest of the season for the road. Let me know if you have listened to anything else lately that hits the same tone. I am always looking for something well-researched that does not feel like it is exploiting the people involved. I appreciate that this one seems to handle the subject matter with care even when the details are unsettling.