As a parent, I have mastered the art of the 30-minute dinner. I had to, you know? The kids have school, followed by extracurriculars, followed by homework. Between the drop-offs, pick-ups, and “Hey, Dad, are we out of [insert obscure object needed for a school project]?” I don’t have time to whip up a steak dinner every night.

Some of my go-to meals are tacos, burgers, and anything that can move from the freezer to my kids’ mouths in 15 minutes or less (I’m looking at you, potstickers).

But man cannot live on freezer meals alone. Or at least, life would be pretty boring if he tried.

That’s why, whenever I can, I cook and bake meals from scratch. And when my day doesn’t go to plan? I rely on my small business friends here in Louisville to help me out with staple pantry items.

I think we can all agree that bread is one such staple. And I’d love to say I learned how to make my own sourdough back in 2020, but… not so much.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know sourdough is all the rage these days. No one’s Instagram feed has been spared from the thousands of Reels showing perfectly scored loaves and the hundred-year-old “starter” that makes them possible.

Sourdough is a naturally grown yeast that’s healthier for our bodies. It doesn’t raise our blood pressure like instant yeast does. In fact, it actually supports gut health!

Baking with sourdough takes dedication. The starter is kind of like a houseplant—it needs regular TLC to stay alive.

And this is just one reason I love Sourdough To-Go and Sweet and Sourdough. Lauren, the owner of both, is a sourdough pro, serving up delicious treats for our Louisville community.

Contrary to popular belief, just because it’s called sourdough doesn’t mean it tastes super sour. In reality, it’s extra moist, and it keeps fresh longer. (It even freezes nicely!) Plus, Lauren uses nearly all organic ingredients and no other additives in her recipes.

In other words: get ready to taste the best darn bread, cinnamon rolls, muffins, and cookies in the city. Once you’ve tried her baked goods, it’s impossible to go back to the mass-produced stuff.

Lauren posts weekend menus to order from and loves creating new recipes and flavors to be delivered straight to your door. You can even get a free box of goodies if you coordinate multiple orders to be dropped off at the same time (like at your workplace).

Besides baking, Lauren is passionate about building relationships, so her customer service is outstanding. As a realtor in the Louisville area, that’s the sort of thing I note when recommending businesses. Lauren doesn’t just make great bread—she makes our community better.

So, next time your meal prep aspirations don’t quite go to plan, take a look at Lauren’s menu and get your order in ASAP. You’ll be glad you did.