Sam Whitaker · June 28, 2026
Warning: a beautiful crust tells you nothing about what’s happening inside your loaf. I learned that the hard way on a Tuesday morning, slicing into a loaf I was sure was my best yet, and watching the knife drag through a dense, gummy crumb instead of clean, open slices. Eleven years into this hobby—including a … Read more
Sam Whitaker · April 29, 2026
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…
Sam Whitaker · November 21, 2025
The smell hit me before I even saw the jar — something sharp and almost boozy, way past the pleasant tang I’d gotten used to. When I finally looked, the starter had climbed clean over the rim, dried into crusty ridges down the outside of the glass, and left a sticky trail creeping across my … Read more
