A sourdough glossary, in plain terms.

The words you meet in recipes and in the app.

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Autolyse: Mixing only flour and water and letting them rest before adding starter and salt. The flour hydrates and gluten begins to form on its own.; Autolyse, fermentolyse, or neither

Banneton: The basket a shaped loaf proofs in. It holds the shape and leaves the flour rings on the crust.; Stuck to the basket
Bench rest: A short rest between pre-shape and final shape, so the dough relaxes and can be shaped without tearing.
Bulk fermentation: The first rise of the whole dough, from the moment the starter goes in until it is divided or shaped. Most of the flavour and structure is built here.; How a bake runs

Coil fold: A gentler fold: lifting the dough from the middle so the ends tuck underneath. Used for wet doughs.
Cold proof: A final proof in the fridge, usually overnight. It slows fermentation, deepens the flavour and makes the loaf easier to score.; How a bake runs
Crumb: The inside of the loaf. Open means large, irregular holes; tight means small and even.; Big holes, dense everywhere else Gummy crumb

Discard: The starter you remove before feeding so the jar does not keep growing. It can go into pancakes, crackers and the like.
Dutch oven: A heavy lidded pot. Baking in it traps the loaf's own steam, which helps oven spring and crust.; Ice cubes for steam A burnt bottom

Feeding ratio: Starter to flour to water, by weight. 1:5:5 means one part starter, five parts flour and five parts water. A bigger ratio gives the starter more food and takes longer to peak.; Starter calculator Which feeding ratio?
Fermentolyse: Like autolyse, but with the starter already mixed in. Fermentation starts during the rest.; Autolyse, fermentolyse, or neither
Final proof: The last rise of the shaped loaf, in its basket, before baking.; Underproofed or overproofed

Hooch: The grey liquid that collects on a hungry starter. It is alcohol from fermentation. Stir it in or pour it off, then feed.
Hydration: Water as a percentage of the flour's weight. 750 g water on 1000 g flour is 75% hydration. Wetter doughs are harder to handle and can give a more open crumb.; High hydration and open crumb

Inoculation: How much starter is in a dough, as a percentage of the flour. 20% is common. Less starter means a slower, longer fermentation.

Levain: The portion of ripe starter that goes into a dough, usually built for that bake by feeding a little starter the evening before.; Starter calculator

Oven spring: The fast rise in the first minutes of baking, as the gas in the dough expands before the crust sets.; The loaf that came out flat

Peak: The moment a fed starter has risen as far as it will, domed and full of bubbles, just before it starts to fall. The best time to use it.; Starter calculator Does it have to double?
Poke test: Pressing a floured finger into the proofed loaf. If the dent springs back slowly and not all the way, it is ready to bake.; Underproofed or overproofed
Pre-shape: Loosely rounding the dough after bulk so it holds together before the final shape.

Scoring: Cutting the top of the loaf just before baking, so it opens where you choose and not where it is weakest.
Starter: A culture of wild yeast and bacteria kept alive in flour and water. It is what makes sourdough rise and gives it its flavour.; The starter in the app
Stretch and fold: Pulling one side of the dough up and folding it over, turning the bowl and repeating. Done a few times during bulk to build strength without kneading.

Updated 6 October 2026