Learn sourdough
Clear, practical help for every stage: starting and feeding a starter, fixing what went wrong, and making good use of your bakes.
Guides
Start a starter, feed it, and bake your first loaf.
How to make a sourdough starter from scratch
Learn how to make a sourdough starter from flour and water in about two weeks, with a clear day-by-day feeding schedule and signs it is ready to bake.
How to feed a sourdough starter
Feeding a sourdough starter means keeping a little and refreshing it with flour and water. Here is the simple method, the ratios, and how to store it.
How to tell when your sourdough starter is ready
Is my sourdough starter ready? Read the rise and fall, run the float test, and check smell and texture so you know exactly when to bake.
How to bake your first sourdough loaf
Bake your first sourdough loaf in a day: a 500g flour formula plus mix, bulk, shape, proof, and bake steps you can judge by feel at home.
What is bulk fermentation, and how long does it take
Bulk fermentation is the first rise of your dough as a single mass. Learn how to tell when it is done by feel and rise, plus how temperature sets the time.
Sourdough hydration explained
Sourdough hydration is the weight of water as a percent of flour. Learn the typical ranges, how it changes crumb and handling, and how to calculate it.
How to store a sourdough starter
Learn how to store a sourdough starter in the fridge, refresh it once a week, revive it before a bake, and keep it safe through long breaks away from home.
Sourdough starter feeding schedule by temperature
Your sourdough feeding schedule by temperature: how often to refresh a starter in a warm or cool kitchen, with ratios and timing cues you can actually use.
How to dehydrate and revive a sourdough starter
Learn how to dehydrate a sourdough starter into dry flakes for long-term backup, store it airtight, and revive it with a few feeds when you want to bake again.
What should a sourdough starter smell like
What should sourdough starter smell like? A healthy one smells tangy like yogurt. Sharp acetone means it is hungry, so feed it and read the rest here.
Troubleshooting
Read the symptom, find the fix.
Why isn't my sourdough starter rising?
You feed your starter and it barely moves.
Why is my sourdough too sour, and how to fix it
Your loaf tastes sharply sour or vinegary.
How to fix a gummy sourdough crumb
The crumb feels wet, sticky, or paste-like.
Why is my sourdough flat, and how to fix it
The loaf spreads wide and flat with little oven spring.
How to fix a dense, tight sourdough crumb
The bread is heavy with small, even holes and little rise.
Why is my sourdough dough so sticky
The dough sticks to your hands and the bench.
Why your sourdough has no ear, and how to get one
Your scores do not open into a raised ear.
Recipes
Put your discard and your loaves to good use.
Sourdough discard recipes
Sourdough discard recipes that use up the starter you'd throw away: easy pancakes, crisp crackers, and moist banana bread, plus how to store discard well.
Sourdough discard pancakes
Make fluffy sourdough discard pancakes with this gram-based recipe. Ingredients, numbered steps, and tips for using up unfed starter without waste.
Sourdough discard crackers
Make crisp sourdough discard crackers with this exact recipe: weights in grams, herbs and salt, rolled thin, baked at 175C/350F until snappy and golden.
Sourdough discard banana bread
Sourdough discard banana bread made with ripe bananas and unfed starter. Get weights in grams, numbered steps, and a 175C/350F bake of about 55 minutes.
Sourdough discard pizza dough
Sourdough discard pizza dough you can make the same day, with discard for flavor and a little yeast for lift. Gram-based recipe for two 12-inch pizzas.
Sourdough discard tortillas
Make soft sourdough discard tortillas with no yeast. A gram-based recipe, a short rest, then a hot griddle for pliable rounds that fold without cracking.
Sourdough discard blueberry muffins
Sourdough discard muffins packed with blueberries and a tender crumb. Get gram weights, numbered steps, and a 200C/400F bake that yields 12 muffins.
Sourdough discard waffles
Make crisp sourdough discard waffles two ways: an overnight batter for deep tang or a same-day version in 25 minutes. Gram weights, steps, and tips.
Sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies
Sourdough discard cookies that stay chewy with a faint tang. Get gram weights, a chill step, and a 180C/350F bake of about 11 minutes for soft centers.
Sourdough discard biscuits
Make flaky, buttermilk-style sourdough discard biscuits with this gram-based recipe. Cold butter, a fast fold, and a hot oven give tall, tender layers.
Sourdough discard cinnamon rolls
Soft sourdough discard cinnamon rolls made with unfed starter and a little yeast. Get gram weights, a cinnamon filling, and a 175C/350F bake of 25 minutes.
Sourdough discard flatbread
Make soft sourdough discard flatbread in a skillet with no yeast. Gram-based recipe, numbered steps, and tips for a puffy, pliable bread in under an hour.