Sourdough is a little different than what most people are used to—and that’s part of what makes it so special.

But it also means it behaves a little differently once you get it home.

So I wanted to share a few simple ways to help you get the most out of it in your kitchen.

🔪 Let it cool before slicing

I know it’s tempting. Really tempting.

But if your loaf is still warm when you get it, give it a little time before cutting into it.

Sourdough continues to set as it cools, and slicing too early can make the inside a little gummy instead of light and airy.

If you can wait, it’s worth it.

It’s also a big part of why I don’t pre-slice my loaves before selling them. Keeping the loaf whole helps it stay fresher longer and gives you the best texture when you’re ready to cut into it.

Even at home, we usually wait until the next day to slice into a fresh loaf.

🧺 How to store it

Sourdough doesn’t have preservatives, which means it behaves a little differently than store-bought bread.

The best place to store it is at room temperature.

A paper bag, bread box, or even just cut-side down on a cutting board works well.

One thing I’d avoid is the fridge—it actually makes bread go stale faster. The cold temperature causes the starches in the bread to firm up more quickly, which is what gives it that dry, stale texture.

I’d also avoid storing it in a sealed plastic bag. I know that’s a lot of people’s first instinct, but it traps moisture and softens the crust, which is a big part of what makes sourdough so good in the first place.

🔥 How to bring it back to life

If your loaf feels a little firm the next day (or even the day after), that doesn’t mean it’s done.

One of my favorite tricks is to pop it in the oven for a few minutes to bring the crust back.

If it’s a whole loaf, you can even run it quickly under water before putting it in the oven. It sounds a little strange, but it helps rehydrate the crust and brings it back really nicely.

I wouldn’t recommend doing that with a cut loaf though—just warming it up as-is works better in that case.

A quick warm-up can make it feel almost like day one again.

🍞 Don’t overthink it

There’s no one “right” way to enjoy sourdough.

Toast it and add butter. Use it for sandwiches. Pair it with soup. Tear off a piece and eat it as-is.

If you’re looking for something a little extra, I also make a bread dipping herb blend that pairs really well with my classic loaf—it’s one of my favorite simple ways to enjoy it.

And if you ever need ideas, I share serving suggestions and recipes in my monthly newsletter using the breads I bake.

Some of my favorite moments with bread are the simplest ones.

💛 One last thing

Sourdough is a little different every time.

That’s part of what I love about it.

The shape, color, and rise can vary slightly from loaf to loaf—and that’s completely normal with naturally fermented bread.

Each loaf is made by hand and develops a little differently, which is part of what makes it unique.

It’s not meant to be perfectly uniform like mass-produced bread—it’s meant to be something real, something made with time and care.

At the end of the day, the best way to enjoy your sourdough is just to eat it in a way that feels good to you.

It reminds me a little of a running joke between my husband and me. We both love bourbon, but we don’t agree on how to drink it—he insists it should be neat, and I’ll happily turn a good bourbon into an old fashioned.

On one of our trips to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, we saw a sign that said:

“Drink it any damn way you want.”

And honestly, I feel the same way about bread.