Technique
Everything you need to know about this topic — from the basics to the deep end.
Sourdough Proofing: How to Know Your Dough Is Ready (the Poke Test)
The poke test is the single most reliable way to know if your sourdough is ready to bake: press a damp finger 1 cm into the shaped loaf and watch how the dimple recovers. Springs back...
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How to Score Sourdough Bread — Patterns, Technique, Common Mistakes
Scoring sourdough is the single cut that decides whether your loaf opens up beautifully or splits at random. Hold the lame at a 30° angle, slice fast and shallow (about 5 mm deep), and finish in...
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Bulk Fermentation and Cold Retard — A UK Timing Guide
Bulk fermentation is the long first rise after mixing — typically 4–6 hours at 24°C, or 8–12 hours at the cooler UK ambient temperatures of 16–20°C. Most first-time bakers either rush it or run it long,...
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Sourdough Hydration Explained (75% / 78% / 85% — What It Means for Your Loaf)
Sourdough hydration is just the ratio of water to flour in your dough, written as a percentage. A loaf at 75% hydration has 750 g of water for every 1,000 g of flour — that's it,...
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Sourdough Scoring 101: Patterns & Techniques
Everything you need to know about scoring sourdough — depth, angle, blade, patterns, and the small details that turn a flat loaf into a dramatic ear. Practical, not decorative.
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Bulk Fermentation in Sourdough: A Beginner's Guide (UK)
The complete guide to bulk fermentation in sourdough — what it is, when to stop, how to read the dough, and why most home bakers get it wrong. The single most important step in sourdough.
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Getting an Open Crumb: The Score, the Proof, the Oven
How to actually achieve an open crumb — what it means, what causes it, what scoring does, and the bake-day adjustments that produce dramatic ears and big holes.
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