Sam Whitaker · January 10, 2026
Here’s something that trips up almost every new sourdough baker: a flat, dense loaf with a sour bite usually has nothing to do with a weak starter — it’s almost always a proofing timing issue. I learned this the hard way years ago, pulling a loaf off my baking stone that had spread out like … Read more
Sam Whitaker · January 8, 2026
205 to 210°F — that’s the internal temperature a properly baked sourdough loaf needs to clear before the crumb can actually set. The first time I measured a loaf that had turned out gummy on me, mine had barely cracked 185°F, and the interior showed it: pale, wet, and clinging to my bread knife like … Read more
Sam Whitaker · January 7, 2026
Why does a loaf that got every bit of your attention still come out of the banneton looking like a deflated pancake? That’s the question I get asked more than any other, and here’s the direct answer: it’s almost never bad luck, and it’s almost always traceable to one of three places. I’ve pulled back … Read more
Sam Whitaker · January 6, 2026
Somewhere around year two of this whole sourdough obsession, on a lazy Sunday afternoon that should have ended in triumph, I pulled a loaf from the oven, let it cool exactly as long as my patience allowed, and cut into what turned out to be a pale, gummy slab instead of bread. If you’ve landed … Read more
