Anja Eckert

Expertise: Heritage-Inspired Sourdough, Authentic German Cuisine, & YouTube Educator (160k+ Subscribers)

Education: While my formal studies began at the Free University of Berlin, my path eventually led me to a degree in a different field that fueled my curiosity for lifelong learning. However, my truest “degree” in heritage cooking wasn’t earned in a lecture hall – it was gathered over decades of hands-on experience.

My real education began at age 14 in my mother’s kitchen in Germany, watching her and my grandmother master the art of sourdough. Since 2018, I have translated those generations of “kitchen-table wisdom” into a professional teaching practice through my YouTube channel, published books, and specialized sourdough courses.

Location: Northern California, United States

Authority: Author of Sourdough Made Simple and creator of the Super Simple Sourdough course.

About

I’m Anja Eckert – the creator of Our Gabled Home and a YouTube educator with a community of over 160,000 sourdough and heritage cooking enthusiasts.

Born and raised in Stuttgart, Germany, I grew up in a home where the rhythm of the day was set by the smell of freshly baked bread. My mother learned sourdough baking from her mother-in-law, and I learned it from her – not through formal classes, but by peeking over her shoulder and getting my hands in the dough.

When I moved to the United States in the late 90s, I found myself longing for the simple, honest foods of my childhood. To bridge that gap, I began recreating the flavors of home – one loaf, one pretzel, and one traditional German meal at a time. What started as a personal mission to preserve my roots became a lifelong passion for teaching others how to do the same.

In 2018, I launched Our Gabled Home to share a “no-discard, no-stress” approach to sourdough and authentic German cooking. My goal is to move away from the modern “perfectionism” of baking and return to an intuitive, sustainable way of life that fits into a busy modern kitchen.

Whether you are here to master your first starter through my book “Sourdough Simplified” or join my Super Simple Sourdough course, I am honored to help you bring a piece of heritage into your own home.

My Philosophy

I believe food connects generations. It’s not just about recipes- it’s about keeping traditions alive and bringing comfort and nourishment to your table.

My approach is simple:

No waste: You don’t need to discard half your starter to make great bread.
No overwhelm: Step-by-step, clear instructions so you can succeed the first (or second!) time.
No perfection: Real kitchens, real families, real food.

I teach what I know – how to make sourdough approachable, how to bring German traditions to life, and how to slow down enough to enjoy both.

Features & Work

My work has been featured across blogs, magazines, and podcasts, and my YouTube videos have helped tens of thousands of people rediscover the joy of sourdough and authentic German meals.

I’ve also written Sourdough Made Simple, a guide that walks readers through my no-fuss, heritage method for starting and keeping a happy, healthy sourdough starter.

For those who want more hands-on guidance, I created Super Simple Sourdough, an online course that takes you step-by-step through the entire sourdough journey – from creating your starter to baking your first beautiful loaf.

Fun Facts

🥨 I was born in Stuttgart, Germany – the land of soft pretzels and hearty bread.
🍞 I still mill my own flour and bake bread every week (my family insists the sourdough pretzels are better than the yeast ones).
🌿 I love a tidy kitchen, linen aprons, and the rhythm of old traditions meeting modern life.
🇩🇪 My favorite breakfast? A true Sonntagsfrühstück – fresh rolls, butter, jam, soft-boiled eggs, and a pot of tea.
🏡 When I’m not filming or baking, you’ll find me in my garden, sewing, or chatting with my mom in Germany about bread (always bread).

Let’s Connect!

Come join me on this journey of home, heritage, and handmade living:

YouTube – weekly videos and tutorials
Instagram – daily stories and behind-the-scenes
Pinterest – for recipes and homesteading inspiration
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