Written by Katie Halabrin
Instagram: @ariselittleloaf
Katie bakes and scores in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and shares her loaves as @ariselittleloaf. Her story starts with a jar of starter somebody else handed over, and it ends up somewhere she didn't expect.
My husband was actually gifted a starter and a beginner's sourdough kit in December of 2021, right after the Covid sourdough craze had begun to die down. My dear friend Anna had started sourdough earlier that year, and her gift of starter changed our lives! I'll always recommend getting an established starter first instead of making your own, so you can get right to baking. Anyway, poor Jordan probably had the chance to bake one loaf before I completely took over his kit and made it my whole personality.
I was still teaching at this time (preschool special education) and needed a hobby outside of school to relax and create. The first couple of years were full of hockey puck loaves, a very poor understanding of fermentation, and a love for scoring designs. I remember I would be driving home from work brainstorming about what I wanted to score on the dough waiting for me in the fridge! There's truly nothing like the thrill of opening the oven after working on an intricate design.
Fast forward a year or so. We got pregnant in 2023 and I decided to quit teaching and stay home with our baby. Best decision ever! Sourdough became much more than a hobby after that. It was almost like a therapy for the postpartum anxiety I was experiencing, and something I could still call my own and feel competent in during a season where everything felt new and unpredictable. It taught me to slow down, have grace with myself, and celebrate the little victories.
First trimester nausea killed my starter from Anna, so I finally made my own that year too, and it was so rewarding. Being able to stay home during the day (and stay awake throughout the night) gave me more time to figure out the ins and outs of bulk fermentation, and my bread began slowly improving. This timed perfectly with my baby starting to eat solids, and I became passionate about feeding him homemade food with wholesome ingredients. The rest is history!
I've gotten into milling this year too, which has taken sourdough to a whole new level. I still love scoring and credit that for truly sparking my sourdough love, but my focus has shifted to just good quality bread. What's on the inside is more important.
I also "teach" little classes (one or two people at a time) where I walk friends and family through each step of the sourdough process, from mixing dough to baking. I'd love to teach real classes and sell my bread one day far, far, far down the road.