What Is Sourdough? Sourdough is bread that rises through fermentation with a living culture of wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, rather than through added commercial baker’s yeast. It may sound more complicated than it is. At its heart, sourdough begins with flour, water and time. From that simple combination comes a starter: a living…
Why Does Discard Exist?Before you understand what you can do with discard, it helps to understand why it exists in the first place.It isn’t a side effect of something going wrong — it is a structural, built-in part of how a sourdough starter works.The Problem Feeding SolvesA starter needs regular fresh flour and water to…
Common Baking MistakesA few things go wrong for almost everyone with their first few loaves. Each one is easy to prevent once you know what to look out for.Using Your Starter Before or After Its PeakProbably the most common mistake of all.A starter that isn’t active enough — or has already passed its peak —…
Process ControlSourdough baking isn’t about a stopwatch. It’s about learning to read: what do you see, what do you feel, and what is the dough telling you right now?This article brings together the four questions that come up most often.When Is Your Dough Ready?“Ready” usually means ready to shape, after bulk fermentation.Look for:- An increase…
BakingHeat changes everything. Structure, flavour, crust — all in less than an hour.PreheatingSet your oven to 240–250°C (465–480°F), with the Dutch oven or cast-iron baking pot inside. Let everything heat thoroughly for at least 30 minutes.This isn’t a step to rush. A pan that isn’t hot enough won’t give the dough the immediate burst of…
Oven SpringThe first minutes in the oven. Where the bread makes its final, fastest growth.What HappensAs soon as the dough enters the hot oven, the gases that built up during bulk fermentation and the cold proof heat up rapidly and expand.At the same time, the water in the dough turns into steam. That steam keeps…
Cold ProofA night in the refrigerator. The dough keeps working while you don’t have to do anything.What HappensAfter shaping, the dough goes into the refrigerator, covered in its banneton, at 5°C or below. At this low temperature, fermentation slows down considerably, but it doesn’t stop.The flavour and structure of the bread continue to develop, only…
ScoringThe final step before baking. One quick, confident movement that determines how your bread will open in the oven.Why Scoring MattersDuring baking, your bread continues to rise for a little while — this is oven spring. The gas inside the dough expands as it heats up, and the dough needs somewhere to release that pressure.Without…
Bulk FermentationTime does the work here. Your dough slowly grows while you actually have very little to do.What happensAs soon as flour, water, starter and salt come together, bulk fermentation begins — essentially right away, even if you don’t make your first fold until later.During this stage, the yeasts in your starter steadily produce carbon…
Coil FoldA gentler movement, for wetter dough.What You DoGently lift the dough from the centre, letting the edges hang down under their own weight, then fold it back onto itself.Turn the dough a quarter turn, take hold of the centre again — now essentially across the previous fold — and repeat the movement.Just as with…