• Before starting the stew, decide whether you want to have the sourdough dumplings fermented in the fridge for a little bit, or whether you are just doing to make them when you need them. If you want to ferment them, you'll need to prepare the dumplings before you start the stew. If you are just going to pop them in, you can wait until the stew is thickening before you make the dumplings.

How to Make Beef & Guinness Stew with Sourdough Starter

• Start by adding a little olive oil to a heavy based pan over high heat. While the pan is heating, cube your beef into small chunks and then brown it off in the olive oil. Once the beef has browned, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
• Now add the bacon to the pan and cook it for around 5 minutes before adding the onion and allowing it to get a little brown.
• Now add the garlic, carrots and celery to the pot and cook for a few minutes. Allow the vegetables to deglaze all the flavor off the bottom of the pan. They will sweat a little and the excess water will dissolve all the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
• In a jug (not in the pan) stir the Guinness, stock and the sourdough starter together so that the sourdough starter isn't lumpy. Popping it into a batter jug to mix makes it easier to pour in later. Set aside.
• Return the beef to the pot, along with the tomato paste, salt and pepper and stir through.
• Pour the Guinness mixture over the beef and vegetables.
• Add the potatoes, bay leaves and thyme and cover the pan with a lid. Allow the beef and Guinness stew to simmer for around 2 hours on a low heat, stirring occasionally to ensure the bottom doesn't catch.
• After 2 hours, check the beef for tenderness, if it's not tender, stir and allow the stew to cook down for another hour.
• Once you're happy with the beef, remove the lid and increase the heat slightly. Allow the stew to simmer uncovered for around 30 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken a little.

How to Make Sourdough Herb Dumplings

• Make sure your butter is really cold and cut into small cubes or grated. You can pop it in the freezer to cool it faster if you need to.
• Add flour and butter to a mixing bowl and rub the flour into the butter using your fingertips. The mixture should be crumbly, but still feel cold.
• Add the baking powder, salt and herbs to the flour mixture and gently stir through with a spatula or spoon.
• Now whisk the egg and sourdough starter together and then pour into the centre of the dry ingredients.
• Gently bring the wet and dry ingredients together to form a dry dough (don't overwork it or your dumplings will be tough).
• Using your fingers, form 12 small balls of dough (they don't have to be perfect and they might seem crumbly, that's perfectly ok). If you're going to ferment the dumplings in the fridge, pop them into a bowl and cover with plastic and leave them in the fridge for a few hours.
• When you're ready to cook the dumplings, make sure your stew is gently simmering (not boiling). Carefully drop the dumplings into the top of the stew.
• Pop the lid on the stew and leave to gently simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Serve your stew and dumplings!