Sam Whitaker · August 6, 2026
I still remember standing in my kitchen at 6am, bleary-eyed, fully expecting to see a sad, flat, lifeless blob of flour and water in my jar. It was only Day 3 of my very first sourdough starter. I had braced myself for at least another four days of patient waiting, the way every blog post … Read more
Sam Whitaker · June 10, 2026
Don’t trust your kitchen’s ambient temperature to babysit a sourdough proof — it will wreck a loaf right when you can least afford it. I learned that the hard way one March Tuesday, staring down at what should’ve been a tall, puffy round and instead getting a squat, barely-risen brick. Third failed bake in two … Read more
Sam Whitaker · May 4, 2026
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…
