Sourdough Rising

I Used Bob Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour in Every Loaf for 2 Months: Flavor Boost

Sam Whitaker · May 16, 2026

I Used Bob Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour in Every Loaf for 2 Months: Flavor Boost

My Sourdough Loaves Were Bland — Until I Tried This…

My KitchenAid Stand Mixer Handles Sourdough — But Only With This Hook

Sam Whitaker · May 15, 2026

My KitchenAid Stand Mixer Handles Sourdough — But Only With This Hook

For the longest time, I was doing everything by hand. Every stretch-and-fold, every windowpane test, every sticky, flour-dusted counter session — all manual. My sourdough loaves were decent, but my arms were tired. So when I finally decided to invest…

The Wire Cooling Rack That Actually Fits Inside My Sheet Pan

Sam Whitaker · May 13, 2026

The Wire Cooling Rack That Actually Fits Inside My Sheet Pan

If you’ve been baking sourdough for any length of time, you already know the cooling rack struggle. I spent months wrestling with racks that were too small, too flimsy, or just plain wrong for the job. That frustration is exactly…

I Tested 3 Bread Knives on Crusty Sourdough: The Mercer Won

Sam Whitaker · May 12, 2026

I Tested 3 Bread Knives on Crusty Sourdough: The Mercer Won

If you’ve ever destroyed a freshly baked sourdough loaf with the wrong knife, you know the specific kind of heartbreak I’m talking about. After months of perfecting my starter and nailing my fermentation timing, I was still ending up with…

I Used Parchment Paper Rounds in My Dutch Oven and Never Looked Back

Sam Whitaker · May 11, 2026

I Used Parchment Paper Rounds in My Dutch Oven and Never Looked Back

If you have ever baked sourdough in a Dutch oven, you know the moment of dread I am talking about. Your beautifully proofed loaf is ready. The Dutch oven is screaming hot. And somehow you have to transfer that wobbly,…

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…