Bonvia Stories · Flavour & Fire · Sourdough · The Bakingprocess
The bakingprocess
From dough to bread: understanding the rythm behind every sourdough loaf
A sourdough loaf does not come together in a single moment. It is a process of small steps that together determine what eventually comes out of the oven.
From mixing the dough to fermentation, shaping, and baking: every stage influences the flavour, structure, and character of the final loaf. You learn not only what to do, but why each step matters.
In this hub, you will discover the complete baking process step by step. From your first loaf to the techniques that help you better observe, feel, and understand what your dough is telling you.
The bread is created along the way
A great sourdough loaf is not about one perfect technique. It is created through attention to all the small moments that happen before it reaches the oven.
The dough is constantly telling you something. How it feels while mixing. How it changes during fermentation. How it responds when you shape and bake it.
Over time, you learn not only to follow a recipe, but to understand a process. And that is where the true joy of sourdough begins.
Understanding the Baking Process
This is the first layer. For anyone who has never baked a loaf before.
Full Baking Process (End-to-End)
From an active starter to a freshly baked loaf: every step of the process in one complete overview.
First Bread Step-by-Step
Follow your first sourdough loaf from mixing to baking, without getting lost in the details.
Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe
A simple base recipe to help you bake your first loaf.
Developing the Dough
This section explains what happens before shaping.
Autolyse Technique
Why resting flour and water together influences dough structure and development.
Stretch & Fold
The classic technique for building gluten strength and developing structure in the dough.
Coil Fold
A gentle folding technique that strengthens the dough while preserving its airiness.
Bulk Fermentation (Process & Signals)
The most important fermentation stage: learning to recognise when your dough is ready for the next step.
Shaping and Preparation
This is where dough begins to become a loaf.
Shaping (Form & Tension)
How to build tension in your dough for a well-shaped loaf and better oven spring.
Scoring (Slashing the Dough)
Why scoring affects how your loaf opens and expands in the oven.
Cold Proof (Refrigerator Fermentation)
How a longer resting period develops additional flavour and structure.
Baking and Oven Spring
The moment when everything comes together.
Oven Spring (What Happens)
What happens during the first minutes of baking and why your loaf expands in the oven.
Baking (Temperature & Dutch Oven)
How temperature, steam, and baking methods influence the final result.
Learning to Read Your Dough
Learn to recognise when your dough is properly developed and fermented.
Over- vs Under-Fermentation
Understand why dough can sometimes ferment too far or not far enough.
The Effect of Temperature on Dough
How warmth and cold change the speed of fermentation.
Recognising Timing (Visual & Feel)
Learn to trust the signals your dough gives you instead of relying only on the clock.
Solving Problems
Basic Bread Troubleshooting
The most common sourdough problems and how to solve them.
The Bread Tells the Story
A great sourdough loaf is not created through one perfect technique, but through hundreds of small moments of attention.
Every time you bake, you learn something new. You begin to feel how dough changes, recognise signals you did not notice before, and understand how time, temperature, and technique work together.
Ultimately, sourdough is not only about making bread. It is about learning to observe, developing patience, and trusting a process that unfolds one step at a time.
The best loaves are shaped long before they enter the oven.
Continue your journey
The Sourdough Journal
Explore every part of sourdough, from starters and baking to discard.
The Sourdough Roadmap
A step-by-step guide for beginners, from your first starter to your first loaf.
The Living Starter
Begin where every loaf begins: create, feed, and understand your starter.