Straight from a Nurturing Heart
By Lisa Elliott

I took my first run at making sourdough bread recently. Let me tell you, it is not simply an event. It’s an experience!

My relationship with sourdough began when I was given a little dollop of starter from a friend. It consisted of a fermented mixture of flour and water. Yep. That’s all it was.

I have to admit, it was a little scary and a lot intimidating at the onset. How do I time it? When is the best time to use it? How far in advance do I need to plan for it? Should I refrigerate it? Or is it best to leave it on my counter? Must I invest in all things sourdough to make it a success?

For the record, I opted to let it sit untouched in my fridge for several days until I felt ready to commit and brave enough to nurture my relationship with it.

Don’t ask me how it works. Don’t ask me how a little glob of goo turns into a beautiful loaf of bread. Or how even what is discarded can be put to use to produce tasty treats like lemon blueberry scones. Mmhmm! Das what I’m talkin about!

In all honesty, even after many successful attempts, I still have absolutely no idea what I’m really doing. I don’t understand why I have to feed it. I’m still not sure why I have to discard any of it. And I’m trying to figure out what on earth a banneton is or how to use it.

Furthermore, I can’t understand why I find myself lying awake at night, wondering when to feed my starter next and what I’ll do with it when I do. Apparently, timing is everything. How, exactly, do I know when it has peaked? And, who knows what a coil fold is? What is it about the entire endeavour that keeps me coming back for more? I honestly don’t know! Hence, why I’ve decided to call my sourdough starter, “Dough Know.”

With all that I dough not know about sourdough, what I do know is that what I’m learning from my nurturing of this little lump of goo can easily be applied to my life as I seek to follow Jesus. He is the Bread of Life, after all.

Here are some spiritual applications. (Please excuse that some of the verses I’ve selected may be stretched a bit out of context. However, we still knead them! And, they might just come in handy one day!)

Starter. We all have to start somewhere! Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” That’s good news!

Little is much. I was surprised at how a little bit of starter could go such a long way. Then again, it only took two fish and five loaves of bread to feed five thousand after it was offered to the Lord to be blessed and distributed. When all was said and done, “They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over” (Matthew 14:13-21).

Discard. Amazingly, nothing goes to waste with sourdough starter. What isn’t used to make a loaf of bread can be put into a jar and stored in the refrigerator to be used for something else at another time. I am thankful this is the Lord’s approach with us as well. Nothing is wasted. We can all be put to good use. “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?” (Romans 9:21).

Essentials. Whether it’s a Dutch oven, a kitchen scale, a banneton or supplementary equipment, each is useful and plays a unique part in the dough’s development. “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16).

Measurements. Initially, I guesstimated my measurements. This was a tad challenging because I failed math, and I had to make sense of grams turned to cups. It may not have been perfect, but it did work! Since then, however, I have invested in a kitchen scale. Either way, it was good enough to share! “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38).

Handling. There’s a certain method of manipulating sourdough. Stretching and folding helps with airflow in the dough and, if done successfully, produces light, airy bubble holes throughout the loaf. We all need the strong, gentle hands of God in our lives. Breathing life into us. Molding and making us into His own image. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8).

Time, timing, and patience. These all play key roles in the nurturing of sourdough as it does with us. Thankfully, God, our Creator and Maker, is also our Sustainer. He is patient (1 Corinthians 13:1). His timing is perfect. And He makes everything beautiful in its time (Eccles. 3:11).

Watchful care. I’m not sure I’ve checked on anything as much as I have my sourdough, that is, since I watched my kids when they were little! Be assured, in the same way, “He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Psalm 121:3-5, 7-8).

Proving. Rising and falling. Night and day. Bubbling and doubling. All part of the process of proving to bring about the best product. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Solitude. Surprisingly, sourdough does much of its work on its own! Whether on the counter, in the fridge, or in the oven, it needs to be left alone to do the work it was intended for. We must do the same in our relationship with Jesus. Carving out time and space in our schedule to rise and shine and spend time alone with Him. Jesus gave us this example in Mark 1:35. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Chill. I’ve discovered the best method for producing chewy, airy, and well-formed bread is to refrigerate it overnight before baking it. It also needs time to "chillax" in order to be strengthened. “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength’” (Isaiah 30:15).

Relax. Initially, I was so uptight about doing it right and not being wasteful that it took the joy out of the equation. I eventually found that I needed to take it seriously. But, at the same time, not take it too seriously. After all, it’s only a little flour and water! Sometimes all it takes is cutting ourselves some slack. Trusting that we’ve done all we can and it’s time to let it rest. Taking time to “be still and know that he is God” (Psalms 46:10).

Trial and error. It’s okay to fail. It’s all part of the process. Sometimes, failure, in fact, is the way to success! Consider many in Scripture who failed: Abraham, Sarah, David, Noah, Joseph, Peter, Paul, and many others. However, in spite of their failures, God still used them. Abraham was called a friend of God, and David, a man after God’s own heart. These saints all learned that His grace was enough. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Environment. There are many variables to consider when cultivating sourdough. Temperature is one of them. Sourdough loves warmth. If it’s too cold, its growth is slowed or halted. The same goes for us. “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

Coaching. I likely could have eventually figured things out on my own. However, it would have been frustrating, and not nearly as much fun had I not tapped into the friend who gave me the starter as well as another friend who had been experimenting with sourdough a few loaves ahead of me. I was enjoying a coffee with this particular friend, mutually sharing the challenges and joys of life along with the give and take of sourdough, when she embedded the spiritual imagery of sourdough usage in this lil’ ol’ heart of mine. The product? This blog, of course! I promised her I would give her honourable mention. :) We all knead friends like this! “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

With some time, patience, nurturing, and a little help from my friends, I have found much joy and fulfillment in my kitchen over sourdough turned into a sweet experience.

“Give us this day our daily bread!” (Matthew 6:11).

* * *

Need a little extra encouragement? Discover more inspirational blogs by Lisa Elliott, Straight from the Heart.

About this Contributor:

Lisa Elliott is an inspirational speaker and award-winning author of The Ben Ripple, Dancing in the Rain, and A Ministry Survival Guide. She’s also a writer for Just Between Us Magazine, theStory, and Good Ground. She and her husband, David, have four children (three on earth, one in heaven) and serve the Lord together in Stratford, ON, Canada.