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Did you know that you can make your own sourdough starter at home? I didn't either. I began this process this week and I'm so excited to bake my own bread this weekend. If you're interested in getting started, here are a few tips.

• Follow The Newcastle Design Company. This is a fabulous small, women owned business that specializes in interior design, home decorating services, and tips on how to make your home beautiful. I came across a recent post they had on making sourdough bread and was immediately drawn to the idea of making bread at home.
• Find discard. See if someone in your neighborhood or a friend has any sourdough starter that they can provide to you; this is called "discard." Don't put the discard into your sealed, airtight jar or container until you've weighed the container empty (described next).
• Purchase materials (or use what you have on hand). You'll need an airtight container or jar, 1/4 cup measuring cup, and scale. I was lucky that I had a food scale from being a member at Weight Watchers. I have measuring cups on hand and was able to purchase a glass mason jar at Marshalls for $4.99. The price was right and it had a latch. You'll need an airtight container so the starter doesn't lose its bubbles. The bubbles are the lactic acid that makes it all work instead of the yeast granules you otherwise add to regular bread. Think of bubbly you enjoy at brunch or on New Years Eve; you wouldn't want the champagne to to lack bubbles. Before you begin feeding the starter (described next), weigh your empty container or jar on your food weight scale. Once you've weighed the empty container or jar, jot that value down as you'll need it later. Place the discard into the container or jar.
• Feed the starter. You'll need to feed the starter 2-3 days before you bake your bread. This is a multi-step process that requires some math. Weigh the starter that's in the mason jar. Subtract the weight of the mason jar alone from the new weight. This is the starter's weight. Whatever the difference is, that's what you need to add in water and all-purpose flour. For example, if the difference is 200g, add 200g of water and 200g of flour. Repeat this process for 2-3 nights leading up to when you bake your bread.

For the full recipe and more on this, please check out The Newcastle Design Company's social media pages, visit their website at https://www.newcastledesignco.com, or follow the owner's YouTube channel here. I hope you have success starting your own sourdough starter and baking bread!

Dr. Alisha Martinez is an educational professional focused on improving outcomes for all students. Dr. Martinez teaches graduate-level research and program evaluation design methods classes at George Mason University and the University of Pennsylvania. She received her Ph.D. in Education from George Mason University. Dr. Martinez lives in Virginia with her husband and two kids.