Can I Use My Bread Machine to Make Sourdough Bread?

During Covid, I discovered everyone and their dog was making bread and I couldn't find yeast. (I guess this was the one time I was hip because I make bread a lot.) Anyway, I made a starter from rye flour and it was nice. I only used the starter to provide the necessary yeast for my bread in my bread machine.

Well, the starter proved to be a little too much for me to keep up. (Long story short, I have a traumatic brain injury from a horseback riding accident and my memory is screwed up.) So, I just threw it out when it molded. With me so far?

Anyway, I do like the idea of sourdough and I love the taste of mild sourdough, but I need to use the bread machine because I have many injuries (including from the aforementioned accident, amongst other things 🙄) and arthritis in my hands. I've read some of Kate's recipes and my hands ache from just reading them! Plus, using the oven in the summer is a non-starter for me. I don't need to heat up the house that badly.

So, can I really make yummy sourdough bread and baked goods with a bread machine and store it simply so I don't have a science experiment growing on my counter or in my refrigerator?

Yes, you can. My wife has a vigorous sourdough starter and she likes to bake in the oven, but when she is away or too busy, I just whip it up in the bread machine. Choose the longest setting, if possible, for the rise. It makes pretty consistent loaves for me this way. If it isn't getting a good enough rise, try through a small amount of bread yeast in too if available. It will get an extra rise from the yeast, but still carry the sourdough flavor.