Meet Bluey: My Newest Kitchen Pet That Eats Flour 🍞💙

Foxfire Kitchen | Foxfire & Freeways

Well, folks, apparently I decided I needed another mouth to feed in this household. 😂

Except this one doesn’t bark, cry, chase chickens, or demand snacks every five minutes. Instead, it lives in a pretty vintage blue mason jar, eats flour and water, and hopefully will reward me with some delicious homemade bread.

Meet Bluey, my brand-new sourdough starter! 💙

Born on November 6, 2026, right here in Foxfire Kitchen.

I’ve been wanting to get more into making our own bread, especially with the prices of groceries these days. We normally go through about a loaf a week, but I’d love to increase that and eventually stop buying bread altogether.

We enjoy a pretty good variety around here. Whole wheat, honey wheat, whole grain, potato, rye, and, of course, sourdough. Personally, I love a nice soft and fluffy sandwich bread, but I’m definitely not opposed to a good crusty artisan loaf either!

And since I’ve already got several loaf pans, including a stoneware one, plus my trusty cast-iron cauldron, I figured why not put them to good use?

And So Bluey Was Born…

I started with a mixture of whole wheat flour, bread flour, and water.

Simple enough, right?

Well, my first attempt at mixing everything together looked more like I was trying to make mortar for a brick wall. 😂

A little too thick!

After adding some extra water and stirring everything together, we finally got something resembling an actual sourdough starter rather than a construction project.

Now Bluey is sitting comfortably in that pretty blue jar, with the glass lid resting loosely on top, waiting to do whatever magical science experiment sourdough starters do.

Of course, with winter creeping into Ohio, my kitchen is getting a little chilly. Hopefully, once we get the heater going, Bluey will be a bit happier.

Apparently, sourdough starters enjoy being warm and cozy.

Don’t we all?

Why Am I Doing This?

Honestly, a little bit of everything.

I love cooking and baking, and I’ve been wanting to make more things from scratch instead of relying so much on store-bought food.

If I can make something at home for less money, especially something we eat regularly, why not?

Plus, there’s something satisfying about knowing exactly what goes into the food you’re feeding your family.

Eventually, I’d love to make everything from sandwich bread and dinner rolls to cinnamon rolls, bagels, pizza dough, biscuits, and whatever else I can dream up.

And knowing me, there will probably be a few interesting kitchen experiments along the way.

Some will turn out amazing.

Others might become excellent doorstops. 😂

Either way, we’ll learn something!

The Beginning of a New Adventure

For now, Bluey is only on Day 1, so we’ve got a little waiting to do before any serious sourdough baking happens.

From what I’ve learned, it can take a couple of weeks, sometimes longer, for a brand-new starter to become strong enough to bake with.

Until then, I’ll be watching for bubbles, feeding it, and probably staring at a jar of flour and water far more often than any reasonable person should.

Who knew I’d eventually become emotionally invested in fermented flour? 🤣

But here we are!

So welcome to Foxfire Kitchen, Bluey!

May you rise beautifully, produce delicious bread, and never turn into a fuzzy science experiment.

Here’s to homemade bread, saving a little grocery money, and whatever delicious chaos comes out of my kitchen next! 🦊🧡

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