Sam Whitaker · June 16, 2026
A cold snap rolled through my kitchen one February, dropping the room to something like 60 degrees for the better part of a week, and that’s the exact stretch of time I let slip by without checking on Harold, my starter. Three weeks passed before I finally lifted the lid, and what greeted me looked … Read more
Sam Whitaker · December 14, 2025
Your gut rebels after eating bread. Bloating hits within an hour. Energy crashes before lunch. Sound familiar? Most people blame gluten or assume bread just doesn’t work for their digestion. That’s often where the conversation ends. However, there’s a legitimate middle ground many haven’t tried: properly fermented sourdough. Over 11 years of baking sourdough at … Read more
Sam Whitaker · December 4, 2025
Picture the cross-section of a loaf split open on my cutting board — that lace-like pattern of irregular holes, the slightly glossy sheen along the crumb walls, the way the top crust caramelized into deep amber rather than pale beige. That single photo is proof of an entire invisible workforce. A sourdough starter looks like … Read more
Sam Whitaker · December 2, 2025
My sister-in-law once held up her phone with a photo of a squashed, wide loaf and asked me point-blank: “Why does this look like a pancake when I followed every step?” Nine times out of ten, that question traces back to one culprit — the proofing basket, or banneton, wasn’t matched to the dough inside … Read more
