New to sourdough, or coming back after a loaf that went flat? This is the order we would read things in. Each step is one post, and each one only assumes the steps before it.
1
Get a starter you can trust
Everything depends on a starter that doubles predictably. Whether you are reviving a jar from the back of the fridge or starting a fresh one, a few days of regular, slightly fussy feeding gets you there.
2
Bake one loaf until it is boring
Our everyday country loaf is 75% hydration with a little whole wheat, on a schedule that fits around a working week. Bake it three times before you change anything: when the formula stays still, you can see what the dough is doing.
3
Learn to shape
Tension is what gives a loaf its height, and you build it with the bench, not your hands. Three small jobs, each of them easy.
4
Read your crumb
Every slice is a record of how the dough was fermented, shaped and baked. Learn the four common crumbs and what to change next time.
5
Make friends with wet dough
Focaccia is 80% hydration and needs no shaping at all, which makes it the friendliest way to learn how wet dough feels in your hands.
Tools and kit
- The sourdough calculator: grams for any number and size of loaves, straight from the percentages.
- The glossary: autolyse, levain, retard and the rest, a sentence each.
- The Dutch oven question: what you need to trap steam, and four alternatives.
- A digital scale that reads single grams. Cups are not welcome here.
Stuck? Send us your crumb shot with your flour, hydration and timings. We read everything.