Sourdough and ferments for real-life kitchens.
This potion tastes like sunlight filtering through leaves, warm afternoons, and the energy of “I’m doing my best and that’s enough.”
Tonight’s brew:
Peach Blossom Sparkle Soda
Ingredients
1 cup ginger bug
1 cup mashed peaches (fresh or frozen)
¼ cup sugar
3 cups water
A whisper of lemon zest
Ingredients
Let it fizz until the bottle cap wiggles with excitement.
Chill and pour over ice.
Potion Mood:
Joyful, bright, playful — a sparkling reminder that even small sweetness counts.
Come, fellow gremlin… we dine on chaos tonight.”
Your discard jar is full.
Again.
It’s somehow judging you with bubbles.
Your starter is thriving, your fridge is groaning, and you?
You need snacks.
So let’s make something unhinged, cozy, and dangerously addictive:
CRISPY DISCARD GARLIC PARM PRETZEL BITES
(aka: Tiny Goblin Nuggets of Joy)
These are soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, smothered in garlic butter, and absolutely perfect for eating with your bare hands over the sink while avoiding responsibilities.
Ingredients
200 g sourdough discard
1 cup flour
½ cup warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp instant yeast (optional but powerful)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter (melted)
For boiling:
6 cups water
2 tbsp baking soda
For topping:
3 tbsp melted butter
½ tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp Parmesan
Pinch of salt
Parsley if you want to feel fancy
Instructions
Mix discard, flour, water, sugar, butter, yeast (if using), and salt.
Knead lightly until dough behaves.
Let rise until puffy (45–90 min depending on the vibe).
Roll dough into a snake.
Cut into tiny chaotic goblin bites — uniformity is for mortals.
Bring water + baking soda to a boil.
Boil pretzel bites for 20–30 seconds until they puff like dramatic divas.
Transfer to a tray.
Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 12–15 minutes until golden, shiny, and irresistible.
Mix melted butter + garlic powder + Parmesan.
Toss bites until fully coated and spiritually transformed.
Eat immediately.
Some Sundays feel soft enough to sip.
The kind of day where steam curls up from a teacup, the sunlight moves slowly across the counter, and the whole house feels like it’s holding its breath in a gentle way.
Chamomile is a calming herb, and when infused into a loaf, it softens everything — the crumb, the aroma, even the atmosphere.
Add vanilla, and this bread becomes a warm exhale wrapped in a crust.
This is a breakfast loaf for the soul.
Chamomile Vanilla Sourdough Loaf
Ingredients
100 g active sourdough starter
300 g warm chamomile tea (steeped strong, cooled to warm)
20 g honey
30 g melted butter or oil
500 g all-purpose or bread flour
8–10 g salt
1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from ½ vanilla bean
Steep 2 chamomile tea bags or 2 tbsp loose chamomile in 350 g hot water.
Let cool until warm.
Strain and measure out 300 g.
Combine chamomile tea, honey, vanilla, melted butter, and starter.
Stir in flour + salt.
Rest 20–30 minutes.
Do 2–3 stretch-and-folds.
The dough will feel soft and silky.
Let rise 3–5 hours until pillowy.
Shape into a round or oval.
Refrigerate 8–16 hours.
Preheat at 475°F (245°C):
Score loaf gently and bake.
20 minutes covered
20–25 minutes uncovered
The crust will smell faintly floral and sweet.
Bread made with tea feels like a lullaby you can slice.
Perfect for slow mornings, warm evenings, or days when you need softness more than structure.
Some Fridays call for softness — a drink that feels like a warm hug in a chilled glass.
A potion for nervous systems, overworked adults, and anyone who needs to exhale.
Tonight’s brew:
Vanilla–Chamomile Gold Soda
Ingredients
1 cup ginger bug
3 cups chamomile tea (cooled)
2 tbsp honey
½ tsp vanilla
Instructions
Fizz gently.
Drink even more gently.
Potion Mood:
Cozy, grounding, a healing sip for frayed edges and tender hearts.
Today we do crimes with cocoa powder.
The discard jar is full.
You feel dangerous.
Chocolate calls your name.
It’s time.
ULTRA-GOOEY DISCARD BROWNIE BITES
Ingredients
150 g discard
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup flour
Pinch of salt
Chocolate chunks for dramatic effect
Instructions
Mix melted butter, sugar, eggs, and discard.
Add dry ingredients.
Fold in chocolate like you’re hiding treasure.
Pour into a greased mini-muffin tin.
Bake 350°F for 10–12 minutes — you want them slightly underdone.
Eat warm.
Burn your mouth a little.
Ascend.
Some Sundays carry the scent of herbs — even before you step into the kitchen.
They smell like green things growing, like cool earth after rain, like the pages of an old cookbook.
A braid is a small spell of its own.
Three strands, woven together like gratitude, patience, and nourishment.
This loaf belongs in a garden cottage window, cooling beside a pot of soup.
Let’s weave something aromatic.
Wild Garden Herb Sourdough Braid
Ingredients
100 g active starter
300 g warm water
20 g olive oil
500 g bread flour
10 g salt
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
1 tbsp chopped thyme
1 tbsp chopped basil
Optional: a sprinkle of flaky salt or sesame seeds
Combine water, oil, and starter.
Add flour + salt and mix until cohesive.
Rest 20–30 minutes.
Do 2–3 stretch-and-folds.
Add herbs after the first fold, tucking them gently through the dough.
Bulk ferment 3–5 hours until airy and fragrant.
Turn out dough and divide into 3 equal ropes.
Braid loosely, letting the strands rest where they fall.
Place in a parchment-lined loaf pan or on a baking sheet.
Refrigerate 8–14 hours.
Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 30–35 minutes.
The crust should be lightly golden and crackling with herbal perfume.
Bread woven with herbs feels like a blessing — a small green gratitude braided into your Sunday.
For the weeks that feel chaotic, fiery, messy, or cursed in a fun way, your ginger bug offers a brew with boldness, heat, and bite.
Tonight’s brew:
Ginger–Honey Fire Soda
Ingredients
1 cup ginger bug
3 cups warm water
1–2 tbsp honey
A slice of fresh chili or a pinch of cayenne
¼ cup sugar
Instructions
Bottle, fizz, taste carefully (this one has opinions).
Potion Mood:
Energy. Chaos. Motivation.
Perfect for shaking off sluggish vibes and summoning confidence.
If you’ve ever said “I have a gut feeling,”
or felt butterflies when you’re nervous,
or noticed your mood tank after eating badly for a week…
…that isn’t your imagination.
Your gut and your brain are not strangers living in separate parts of your body.
They’re more like roommates, constantly passing notes, gossiping, hyping each other up, and occasionally getting each other into trouble.
This constant back-and-forth is called the gut–brain connection — and understanding it can change the way you take care of yourself.
Let’s unpack it gently, without any scary science talk.
So… how do your gut and brain talk to each other?
Imagine a two-way highway running between your belly and your brain.
Messages travel up and down that road every second.
Your gut says things like:
“Feeling good down here!”
“Hmm… that meal was a bit much.”
“We’re stressed, send backup.”
“Everything is peaceful, carry on.”
Your brain replies:
“Noted.”
“Let’s slow digestion for a bit.”
“Release calming chemicals.”
“CRISIS MODE, EVERYBODY PANIC.”
It’s an ongoing conversation — and when one side gets overwhelmed, the other feels it instantly.
Why Your Gut Has More Influence Than You Think
Your gut isn’t just a digestion tube.
It’s filled with trillions of tiny microbes that help run the whole show.
These little residents make compounds that can influence:
mood
stress
sleep
energy
cravings
focus
immune health
A balanced gut = calmer, clearer brain signals.
An unbalanced gut = louder, more frantic signals.
No shame, no judgment — just tiny creatures doing their best.
What Happens When the Gut is Struggling?
When your gut is out of balance, your brain often feels it first.
You might notice:
mood dips
irritability
brain fog
anxiety spikes
low motivation
feeling “off”
wired but tired
This doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.
It means your gut is waving a tiny flag saying:
“Help. Things are weird down here.”
And because your brain listens, you feel it emotionally.
What Happens When the Gut is Happy?
A balanced gut sends calmer, steadier messages:
“Digestion is smooth.”
“We’re absorbing nutrients well.”
“Everything feels peaceful.”
“You’re safe.”
“Time to relax.”
Your brain responds with:
clearer thinking
improved mood
more patience
better sleep
steadier emotions
fewer stress spikes
A happy belly makes a softer world.
How Fermented Foods Support the Gut–Brain Connection
You don’t need complicated routines.
Just a little bit of fermented food each day can quietly support both gut and mind.
Things like:
ginger bug soda
sourdough
yogurt
kefir
sauerkraut
kimchi
They add friendly microbes, support digestion, and reduce the stress load on your system.
A calm gut sends calmer messages upward.
How Stress Affects the Gut
This connection goes both ways.
When you’re overwhelmed or anxious, your brain sends those stress signals to your gut — and the gut reacts:
slowing digestion
causing bloating
tightening muscles
triggering nausea
shifting microbes
That’s why “stress belly” is a real thing.
Your emotions land in your stomach.
How to Support the Gut–Brain Team (Gently)
You don’t need perfection — just small, steady routines:
eat slowly
drink water
add a little fermented food
prioritize fiber
sleep enough
take breaks
breathe deep
keep stress rituals simple
Each of these supports both your belly and your mind.
Your gut and your brain aren’t at war.
They’re best friends — sending signals, sharing feelings, protecting you, and trying their best to understand the world together.
When one struggles, the other steps in.
When one finds calm, the other sighs with relief.
Supporting your gut is one of the kindest things you can do for your mind.
And every small choice — every fermented sip, every cozy meal, every quiet moment — is a little act of care for both.
Breakfast? Dessert? Chaos? Yes.
Today’s discard is destined for greatness — or at least for a plate covered in powdered sugar.
Behold:
FLUFFY DISCARD FUNFETTI PANCAKES
Ingredients
200 g discard
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
Sprinkles
Instructions
Combine wet ingredients + discard.
Add dry ingredients.
Fold in sprinkles like you’re summoning joy.
Cook on medium heat until bubbly, flip, cook again.
Stack high.
Serve with syrup and chaotic energy.
Kids love these. Adults love these. Starters approve.
Some Sundays begin like the inside of a whisper — low light, warm blankets, the faint hum of a kettle somewhere behind you.
This is the kind of morning that wants flowers.
Wants sweetness.
Wants a loaf that feels like a small kindness made edible.
Lavender, when used lightly, brings a calm that feels like breathing deeper.
Honey warms the crumb from the inside out.
Together, they turn your kitchen into a little cottage in the meadows.
Lavender Honey Sourdough Loaf
Ingredients
100 g active starter
330 g warm water
30 g honey
20 g melted butter or olive oil
480–500 g bread flour
8–10 g salt
1–2 tsp culinary lavender, lightly crushed
Extra honey for brushing
Mix warm water, honey, oil/butter, and starter.
Add flour + salt.
Stir until soft and shaggy
Rest 20–30 minutes.
Perform 2–3 stretch-and-folds.
After the first fold, sprinkle in the lavender and fold it in gently.
The scent will bloom with each movement.
Cover and let rise 3–5 hours depending on your kitchen temperature, until puffy and relaxed.
Turn out, shape gently, and place seam side up in a floured banneton.
Refrigerate 8–16 hours. This helps the flavors really pop.
Preheat oven and Dutch oven to 475°F (245°C):
Lay dough out on parchment or silicone sling, score gently.
Place in HOT Dutch oven and bake
20 minutes covered
20–25 minutes uncovered
Brush the warm crust with honey for a glowing finish.
This loaf reminds you that sweetness doesn’t need to be loud — it can be a quiet presence, woven between the hours of a gentle Sunday morning.
The Wild Crumb 