Category
Advanced Techniques
For bakers past their first dozen loaves who want to push craft further. Each piece is opinionated and specific.
All articles in Advanced Techniques
57 posts
How Long Should You Cold Retard Sourdough?
Cold retard timing from 8 to 48 hours for flavor, scheduling flexibility, and oven spring.
Charlotte Bishop · 2 min read
How Long Should You Autolyse Sourdough Dough?
20 minutes to overnight — when longer autolyse helps and when it hurts gluten strength.
Master Baker John Park · 2 min read
How Deep Should You Score Sourdough Bread?
Score depth, angle, and blade choice for a dramatic ear and controlled oven spring.
Tony Caruso · 2 min read
How to Pre-Shape Sourdough Dough
Pre-shaping builds surface tension early — the step most beginners skip too quickly.
Pete Kowalski · 2 min read
How to Shape a Sourdough Batard Step by Step
A clear batard shaping sequence for sandwich-friendly loaves with a tight skin.
Master Baker John Park · 2 min read
When to Use a 1:5:5 Starter Feeding Ratio
A higher feed ratio slows peak time and mellows acidity — ideal for warm kitchens and mild loaves.
Dr. Sarah Chen · 2 min read
Coil Fold vs Stretch and Fold: Which to Use?
Two strength-building moves for bulk fermentation — when coil folds shine and when classic stretch-and-folds win.
Sofia Marchetti · 2 min read
Baker's Percentage Basics for Sourdough
Scale any loaf by treating flour as 100% — the math behind hydration, salt, and starter amounts.
Maya Patel · 2 min read
Overnight Preferment Timing for Sourdough
Build levain overnight without waking up to a collapsed bowl — ratios and temperatures that work.
Alex Tanaka · 2 min read
Double Hydration Mixing for Sourdough
Hold back water, build strength, then add the rest — a pro technique for wet doughs that still hold shape.
Master Baker John Park · 2 min read
Retarding Bulk vs Final Proof: Which Cold Step to Choose?
Cold bulk and cold final proof both buy schedule flexibility — they just change flavor and handling differently.
Charlotte Bishop · 2 min read
Sourdough Steam Baking Methods Without a Dutch Oven
Ice cubes, lava rocks, cast-iron pans, and covered roasting trays — practical steam setups for home ovens.
Ben Holloway · 2 min read
Holding Sourdough Dough in the Fridge Mid-Bake
Pause bulk or proof in the fridge when life interrupts — without wrecking fermentation.
Emma Cole · 2 min read
How to Scale a Sourdough Recipe to Two Loaves
Double ingredients cleanly with baker's math, and know what not to double (time, salt mistakes, pan size).
Maya Patel · 2 min read
How to Handle High-Hydration Sourdough Without the Mess
Wet, sticky 80%+ dough scares beginners. Here's the technique for handling it confidently for an open, airy crumb.
Hans Müller · 2 min read
How to Shape a Sourdough Batard (Oval Loaf)
The batard is the classic oval loaf — great for slicing. Here's the step-by-step shaping technique for tight, even tension.
Master Baker John Park · 2 min read
How to Shape a Sourdough Boule (Round Loaf)
The boule is the classic round loaf and the best shape to learn first. Here's how to build a tight, taut round.
Master Baker John Park · 2 min read
Sourdough Croissants: Laminated, Flaky, Worth the Effort
Buttery, shatteringly flaky croissants leavened with sourdough. A detailed lamination guide for the ambitious baker.
Pierre Lambert · 2 min read
Cold Proof vs Room-Temperature Proof: Which Is Better?
Should you proof in the fridge or on the counter? Each affects flavor, schedule, and crust. Here's how to choose.
Carlos Vega · 2 min read
100% Whole Wheat Sourdough: A Lighter Whole-Grain Loaf
Whole wheat doesn't have to mean dense and dry. Here's how to bake a flavorful, well-risen 100% whole wheat loaf.
Hans Müller · 2 min read
Sourdough Einkorn Bread: Baking With the Ancient Grain
Einkorn has a delicate gluten and a golden, nutty flavor — but it behaves nothing like modern wheat. Here's how to handle it.
Carlos Vega · 2 min read
Sourdough Stencil and Scoring Art: Decorating Your Loaves
From wheat stalks to floral designs, here's how to turn the top of your loaf into edible art with stencils and scoring.
Pierre Lambert · 2 min read
Pro Sourdough Techniques You Can Use at Home
Restaurant bakers know things home bakers don't. Here are the most useful pro techniques you can apply.
Pierre Lambert · 4 min read
Freezing Sourdough Dough: For Bake-on-Demand Bread
Freeze shaped sourdough dough for fresh bread anytime. Here's the technique that actually works.
Carlos Vega · 4 min read
Developing Your Own Sourdough Recipe: A Method
Once you understand baker's percentages, you can develop your own recipes. Here's the systematic approach.
Charlotte Bishop · 4 min read
Doubling Your Sourdough Recipe: Tips for Big Batches
Bake two loaves instead of one for almost no extra effort. Here's how to scale up.
Lisa Hartwell · 5 min read
Poolish vs. Biga: Pre-Ferments for Sourdough
What pre-ferments are, why they matter, and how to use poolish or biga in sourdough recipes.
Hans Müller · 4 min read
Sourdough Coil Folds: A Gentler Alternative
Coil folds replace stretch and fold for delicate, high-hydration dough. Here's the technique and when to use it.
Pete Kowalski · 3 min read
Sourdough Lamination: When and How to Use It
Lamination is a gluten-development trick for high-hydration dough. Here's the technique and when to use it.
Charlotte Bishop · 4 min read
Humidity and Sourdough: How to Bake in Dry or Wet Climates
Kitchen humidity affects how dough develops, hydration behavior, and crust formation. Here's how to adjust.
Pete Kowalski · 4 min read
Sourdough at High Altitude: A Complete Adjustment Guide
Altitude changes how dough rises, hydration behaves, and bread bakes. Here's how to adjust.
Charlotte Bishop · 4 min read
Sourdough Crust Blisters: What Causes Them (and How to Get More)
Crust blisters look stunning and signal good fermentation. Here's how to coax them out reliably.
Pete Kowalski · 3 min read
How to Develop Your Own Sourdough Recipe From Scratch
Once you understand baker's percentages, you can develop your own recipes. Here's the systematic method.
Pierre Lambert · 5 min read
Soakers in Sourdough: Why Pre-Hydrating Grains Makes Better Bread
A soaker pre-hydrates grains so they don't steal water from your dough. Here's the technique and the recipes.
Diana Khoury · 5 min read
Adding a Poolish or Biga to Sourdough: Why and How
Combining a yeast preferment with a sourdough starter unlocks a wider flavor palette and more reliable timing.
Hans Müller · 3 min read
Levain vs. Starter: What's the Difference and When to Use a Levain
Your starter is your culture. A levain is a custom-built leaven for one bake. Here's how to use both.
Pierre Lambert · 3 min read
How to Get a Tall, Crackling Ear on Your Sourdough
An ear is created by three forces working together: tension, score angle, and steam. Here's the recipe.
Sofia Marchetti · 3 min read
Double Hydration Sourdough Method, Demystified
Adding the water in two stages produces stronger, more open dough. Here's the technique and the science.
Tony Caruso · 3 min read
Cold Bulk Fermentation: A Slower, Smarter Sourdough Workflow
Move bulk to the fridge and you trade time for flexibility, deeper flavor, and stronger gluten.
Pete Kowalski · 3 min read
How to Get an Open Crumb Sourdough Without Drowning the Dough
An open, holey crumb is the result of three things working together — and over-hydration isn't the most important.
Maya Patel · 3 min read
Sourdough at High Altitude: What Changes Above 4000 Feet
Lower air pressure, drier air, faster fermentation — the precise adjustments for mountain bakers.
Margaret Cole · 2 min read
Tartine-Style vs. Classic Sourdough
Two schools of sourdough — high hydration with open crumb vs. balanced traditional. Which is right for you?
Sofia Marchetti · 3 min read
Stiff Starter vs. Liquid Starter
The Italian approach vs. the American approach — and which is right for your kitchen.
Pierre Lambert · 3 min read
Seasonal Sourdough: Adapting Your Technique Year-Round
Temperature, humidity, and seasonal change quietly rewrite your recipe. Here's how to keep up.
Lisa Hartwell · 2 min read
Understanding Hydration: The Key to Texture
From 65% to 85% — what each hydration level does to crumb, crust, and handling.
Master Baker John Park · 2 min read
Autolyse: Why Your Dough Needs a Rest
A passive technique that improves extensibility, gluten, flavor, and final texture — for the cost of waiting.
Dr. Sarah Chen · 2 min read
Shaping: From Boule to Batard
Surface tension, pre-shape, bench rest, final shape — the techniques that decide how your loaf rises.
Sophie Vermeer · 2 min read
Scoring: Function Meets Artistry
Proper scoring controls expansion, prevents random tearing, and turns each loaf into a small canvas.
Lisa Hartwell · 2 min read
What Changed When I Stopped Using Recipes
After two hundred bakes, I switched to baker's percentages. Here's what improved — and what I should've done sooner.
Sofia Marchetti · 3 min read
Bulk Fermentation Mastery: Reading Your Dough
The visual and tactile cues that tell you when bulk is done — and the temperature math behind them.
Tom Whitaker · 2 min read
Ancient Grains: Einkorn, Emmer, and Spelt
Heritage wheats with deeper flavor and different gluten — and how to bake with them.
Emma Cole · 2 min read
Creating the Perfect Sourdough Crust
Steam, surface starch, scoring, and heat — the four levers that build a thin, blistered, deeply browned crust.
Jake Mendoza · 2 min read
Lamination vs. Coil Folds: Dough Strengthening Methods
Two strengthening techniques, two outcomes. When to use each — and how each changes the crumb.
Rosa Marquez · 2 min read
Seasonal Flour Adjustments
Flour changes with the seasons. Why your reliable recipe stopped working — and how to find it again.
Ben Holloway · 2 min read
Creating Sourdough Flavor Profiles
Why your bread tastes the way it does — and how to push it sweeter, more sour, more complex, or more mild.
Luna Park · 2 min read
Developing Your Signature Sourdough
Move past recipes. The style is the choices you make consistently — flour, hydration, scoring, crust, crumb.
Sofia Marchetti · 2 min read
Competition Sourdough: Baking for Contests
What judges look for — and how to bake bread that scores high.
Bella Constantin · 3 min read