Sourdough Diary
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The Library

Short pieces on why sourdough does what it does. These seventeen are from the app's Library; the rest are inside it.

Myths, tested

Things everyone says. What holds up, and what doesn't.

9 pieces

  1. “Dissolve the starter in the water first”You can, and it does no harm. But you don't have to, and whisking it until frothy adds nothing.
  2. Autolyse, fermentolyse, or everything at onceThree ways to start a dough, argued about far more than the difference deserves. All three make good bread.
  3. “Metal kills your starter”A stainless steel spoon, bowl or whisk does nothing to a starter. Stir away.
  4. “A hundred-year-old starter makes better bread”The story is lovely. The microbes don't know about it.
  5. “You need high hydration for an open crumb”Water helps, but fermentation and handling decide most of it. A 70% dough can be beautifully open; an 85% one can be dense.
  6. “Tap water will kill your starter”For an established starter, tap water is almost always fine.
  7. “It has to double before you can use it”Doubling is a useful sign for a liquid wheat starter. For others it's the wrong test.
  8. “Throw ice cubes in the pot for steam”In a closed pot, the dough makes all the steam it needs. The ice is optional at best.
  9. “Sourdough is fine if you can't eat gluten”It is not gluten-free, and it is not safe for coeliac disease. Some people do find it easier to digest, for a different reason.

When it goes wrong

The usual disasters, and what caused them.

7 pieces

  1. Underproofed and overproofed look different in the ovenOne bursts open at a random seam. The other spreads flat and barely springs. The bake tells you which mistake you made.
  2. Gummy crumb has three quite different causesCut too early, underbaked, or high enzyme activity. They look similar and want opposite fixes.
  3. The loaf that came out flatA loaf that spreads into a disc has usually been fermented too far, shaped too loosely, or made too wet for its flour.
  4. Big holes, dense everywhere elseA few huge caverns in an otherwise tight, gummy crumb is under-fermentation, however open it looks at first glance.
  5. A crust that stays palePale crust is not enough heat, not enough time uncovered, or a dough that had no sugar left to brown with.
  6. A burnt bottomThe base of a pot or stone is much hotter than the air around the loaf. Put something between the two.
  7. Stuck to the basketRice flour, more of it than seems necessary, and a dough that went in with a dry, floured surface.

Time and temperature

Why the same dough takes four hours one day and seven the next.

1 piece

  1. Ten degrees roughly doubles the speedEvery 10°C warmer approximately halves the time to peak. It's the biggest lever you have, and most kitchens move more than you'd think.