Taylor Swift celebrated Selena Gomez’s 33rd birthday with a thoughtful homemade surprise for Gomez and her fiancé Benny Blanco—freshly baked sourdough bread from her own kitchen. Packaged with a luxurious Le Labo candle and a witty handwritten note, “It’s a loaf story,” referencing her iconic hit Love Story, the gift showcased Swift’s culinary side. Known for her baking passion, fans praised the gesture as the ultimate “Loaf Story,” highlighting Swift’s bond with Gomez and her growing friendship with Blanco, while inspiring home bakers to try their own sourdough creations. Here’s how you can try it too with very few simple ingredients.Know how you can prepare homemade sourdough by following the below steps.
Ingredients you need to prepare homemade sourdough
Ingredients
- 5 cups (600 g) unbleached all-purpose (or bread) flour
- 1½ cups (340 g) lukewarm water
- 1 cup (227 g) ripe, bubbly
sourdough starter - 2½ teaspoons (15 g) table salt
Homemade sourdough recipe: Step-by-step instructions
Mix the doughIn a large bowl, combine the ripe starter, lukewarm water, and about two-thirds of the flour. Stir until a shaggy dough forms. Let it rest for 30 minutes (autolyse), then add salt and remaining flour. Knead until smooth and elastic about 5–7 minutes by hand.Bulk fermentation with stretch-and-foldsCover the dough and let it rise at room temperature. Every 30 minutes for the first two hours, gently stretch and fold the dough (total 4–5 times). This builds gluten structure. Let it ferment until it has nearly doubled in size—approximately 4–6 hours.Shape and second riseLightly flour your surface and shape the dough into a tight round or oval. Place it seam-side up in a floured proofing basket (banneton) or bowl. Cover and let it rise for 2–4 hours at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight for enhanced flavor.Preheat the ovenPreheat your oven to 45 °F (230 °C) with a Dutch oven inside for 30 minutes—this creates the hot, steamy environment needed for a crisp crust.Bake for crusty perfectionCarefully transfer the dough onto parchment and score the top for expansion. Place it in the preheated Dutch oven, cover, and bake for 20 minutes. Then uncover and bake another 20–25 minutes until deeply golden and crusty.Cool before slicingLet the loaf cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing—this allows the interior to finish setting and develop full flavor and texture.Knead, rise, bake—because happiness smells like fresh sourdough!Also Read | Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce’s diet: Inside the nutrition plan fueling the NFL star’s success
