On Giving Thanks, Contentment & Sourdough Bread
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name”
It has been a mild November in our little corner of Pennsylvania, but earlier and earlier the light wanes all the same. I’ve learned to lean into the slower pace of November rather than fight to keep up with the pace of life that only exists when the summer sun is slow to set. During the few true November days of grey skies, chilly, windy weather, I leaned into making soups, chili, sourdough, and cornbread. All of which nourish the body, and I’d say even the soul. With the sun setting early, I find myself making my home cozier earlier each evening by sitting by the wood stove, lighting candles, and sipping on tea. What a blessing it is to live a peaceable and quiet life.
I have much to be grateful for: my family, my home, the ability to nurture my baby, support my husband, and enjoy the comforts of this modern life. If I’m being very transparent, early November was very difficult for my family. My dad experienced a severe heart attack from which he is still recovering. The pace of life goes so quickly until you are forced to stop and worry about one thing in front of you that matters. I am incredibly thankful that my dad is still here with us, and I am thankful that it wasn't worse. How many times have we looked at whatever our situation is and only thought about how tough our lives are, complaining about this or that, or feeling discontent with our lives because we find ourselves coveting what others have rather than simply being thankful for the blessings God has placed in front of us?
Contentment in Christ is truly the only thing that will satisfy this longing soul, and it is a reminder I need daily. Things will come and go, desires will fade, and once we have that thing or that dream fulfilled, we find ourselves longing for whatever’s next. I urge you not to consider what life would look like IF this or that — thinking IF only I had this other item, IF I had that house, IF only I was married, IF only my spouse had that job, etc. etc. I know the temptation to be one for myself, and if that’s you too, then I pray that the Lord would teach you contentedness in Him, the one who truly satisfies our hearts.
With all of that being said, November has been a reminder for me to be thankful for the simple joys in my life, and the greatest blessings. I pray that we both would practice giving thanks, not only in November or when difficult times strike, but everyday.
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Spelt Sourdough
Spelt is an ancient grain that has loads of fiber and protein, keeping you fuller for longer, slows down digestion, and reduces blood sugar spikes. I love the heartiness of this bread slathered with some grass-fed butter and jam in the morning. Plus, it made a great addition to our Thanksgiving dinner! Attached are links to the equipment and ingredients I use.
I hope you enjoy this simple recipe :)
Equipment:
Parchment Paper
Tea Towel
Ingredients:
1 C active sourdough starter
2 1/2 C warm water
1 tbsp salt (real Redmond’s sea salt)
2 tbsp honey
3 C organic sprouted spelt flour
How To:
Using a dough whisk, mix together active starter, warm water, salt, and honey.
Next, add the spelt flour and mix well.
Then mix in the all purpose flour and knead it until it forms into a ball with no flour remaining.
Cover with a damp tea towel and let it rest for 30 min.
Begin stretch and folds every 30 min — wet your hands to avoid dough sticking, and starting with one side or corner of the dough grab, stretch and fold it over. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat 4 times (a simple YouTube tutorial on stretch and folds will help if this is new to you!). Let dough sit for 30 min and repeat for 3-4 more times.
Flip the dough over and let rest for 30 min. Repeat stretch and folds 3 more times
Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and let it bulk rise on the counter for 8-12 hours or in the fridge until it’s doubled in size.
Turn the dough out and using a bench scraper, cut into two loaves, shaping both into balls and place on parchment paper.
Place dutch oven(s) into a preheated 450F oven — let sit for 20 min to heat dutch oven
You can put one dough ball back in fridge and bake each bread separately or bake both at the same time in separate dutch ovens
score dough with a razor or sharp knife and place into hot dutch oven
Bake covered for 25 minutes. Then, turn oven temp down to 375F and remove lid — bake for additional 25 minutes
Cool for 30 min on a wire rack before slicing!
Enjoy!
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