Sam Whitaker, Author at Sourdough Rising

The Oven Thermometer That Showed Me My Oven Was 50 Degrees Off

Sam Whitaker · May 9, 2026

The Oven Thermometer That Showed Me My Oven Was 50 Degrees Off

For months, I could not figure out what I was doing wrong. My sourdough loaves came out pale and gummy every single time. I followed hydration charts. I checked my starter religiously. I even bought a new Dutch oven. Nothing…

I Ground Fresh Flour at Home and My Sourdough Changed Forever

Sam Whitaker · May 8, 2026

I Ground Fresh Flour With a Mockmill and My Sourdough Changed Forever

For two years, I chased the same problem. My sourdough loaves looked decent, smelled wonderful, and had a reasonable crumb. But something was missing — a depth of flavor I kept reading about in forums and watching in videos. Bakers…

The Linen Couche That Made My Baguettes Actually Look Like Baguettes

Sam Whitaker · May 7, 2026

The Linen Couche That Made My Baguettes Actually Look Like Baguettes

For months, my baguettes looked like sad, deflated hot dog buns. I’d follow every step of the process carefully — the autolyse, the folds, the shaping. Then I’d line them up on a floured tea towel, and somehow they’d just……

I Baked Sourdough With Scoring Stencils and My Instagram Exploded

Sam Whitaker · May 5, 2026

I Baked Sourdough With Scoring Stencils and My Instagram Exploded

For months, I stared at gorgeous sourdough loaves on Instagram and felt genuinely defeated. My bread tasted wonderful. However, the tops looked like something a nervous raccoon had scratched. I’d been using sourdough scoring stencils decorative bread tutorials as inspiration,…

I Used a VIVOSUN Seedling Heat Mat to Control My Sourdough Fermentation

Sam Whitaker · May 4, 2026

I Used a VIVOSUN Seedling Heat Mat to Control My Sourdough Fermentation

Last winter, my sourdough starter turned into a sluggish, barely-bubbling mess. I live in a drafty older home, and my kitchen sits at around 64°F from November through March. No matter what I tried — longer bulk ferments, more frequent…

I Switched to King Arthur Bread Flour for My Sourdough and Here Is What Changed

Sam Whitaker · May 3, 2026

I Switched to King Arthur Bread Flour for My Sourdough and Here Is What Changed

If you have been baking sourdough for any length of time, you already know how much flour matters. I spent nearly eight months chasing better oven spring and a more open crumb before I finally stopped blaming my starter. This…

I Tested the OXO Good Grips Bench Scraper for 500 Loaves of Sourdough

Sam Whitaker · May 1, 2026

I Tested the OXO Good Grips Bench Scraper for 500 Loaves of Sourdough

For the first two years of my sourdough journey, I used a cheap plastic scraper I grabbed from a dollar store. It warped after three months, slipped constantly on my wooden board, and left bits of dough stuck to the…

The Cambro Container Changed How I Bulk Ferment Sourdough

Sam Whitaker · April 30, 2026

The Cambro Container Changed How I Bulk Ferment Sourdough

For the longest time, my bulk ferment was a complete guessing game. I was using a random ceramic mixing bowl covered with plastic wrap, and I had absolutely no idea how much my dough had risen. Every bake felt like…

I Baked With a Lodge Combo Cooker vs a Regular Dutch Oven for 30 Days

Sam Whitaker · April 29, 2026

I Baked With a Lodge Combo Cooker vs a Regular Dutch Oven for 30 Days

For months, I baked sourdough in a hand-me-down enameled Dutch oven. The results were fine — decent ear, decent crust — but I kept seeing stunning open crumb shots online. People credited their baking vessel. That sent me deep into…

I Tested Celtic Sea Salt vs Diamond Crystal in My Sourdough: Taste Test Results

Sam Whitaker · April 27, 2026

I Tested Celtic Sea Salt vs Diamond Crystal in My Sourdough: Taste Test Results

For years, I grabbed whatever salt was closest on my pantry shelf when baking sourdough. Diamond Crystal kosher salt was my default — it was cheap, familiar, and always available. But after a few months of reading about Celtic sea…