15 Mistakes Most Beginner Sourdough Bakers Make

the only video i've ever watched from this channel, yet i somehow deeply trust this man with my life

I can’t believe this man just had me so engaged for a 20 minute video on bread

I come back and watch this video as I make my bread literally every single time I make bread… it’s the most helpful video I’ve ever watched.

I love the format of this video where you provide tips but they are chronological in the process of actually making sourdough !

you forgot the cardinal rule of breadmaking, always make 2 loaves, one for the irresistible urge to eat it hot. one to let cool properly

After half a year of trial and error, I think I mastered sourdough baking. Two things that I realized: You can make perfect bread with low hydration doughs (63% for me). The second thing is that you don't have to feed the starter everyday (once it's already strong), in fact I keep mine in the fridge and I only feed it when I want to make bread.

Honestly I feel so lucky to have run across your sourdough mistakes video so early in my sourdough journey! Gotta be one of the very best videos I’ve ever seen on YouTube. Looks like your entire collection of videos are also well worth my time. I don’t comment often, but I was compelled to this time. Thank you! Dale

I’ve been frying my discard like your first tip and it’s been soooo delicious! I personally put “everything but the bagel” seasoning and sesame seeds and some cheddar/Mexican blend cheese. Then I put some Honduran cream (could use sour cream or Mayo but this stuff is better) and some lime Ponzu sauce. It’s fire!

This video changed my bread in a huge way. I have been making what I thought was ok enough sour dough for 8 years!! I couldn't get it right. I made a loaf last night with these tips and I am in shock and it is the most beautiful bread I have ever seen.

Duuuuuuuuuude, I made two loaves following a different recipe that didn't detail the actual technique and they turned out doughy and dense, then I followed this video's technique and the flex guide and got two perfect, aerated, crispy loaves! Thank you so much! 🍞🥖

I have been making bread for years and it was fine. Followed all this advice and made the best bread my family have ever eaten. The crust is amazing, the crumb is perfect and it was so straightforward but upped my bread game by about a thousand times. Thank you.

I recently started my sourdough journey. This video is the only instruction I’ve had. Mind you, I watched it over and over and over again before I made my first attempt but I have not had one fail in my six attempts. Today’s loaves were the best yet and I think it’s because I finally incorporated the knowledge. My friends are incredulous at my results in such a short time. I share your video with anyone who asks. Thank you for being so thorough. You clearly have a passion for this.

These are all excellent tips! I have to say for me that the real game-changer was spending more time on gluten development. It wasn’t until I did this that I finally ended up with consistent loaves with open crumb. I struggled for over eight months with inconsistency and rarely did I get a large oven spring. Let me mention that I prefer to bake loaves with a lot of whole grain, so I assumed this was the problem. However, I eventually cut back to just 50% whole wheat but still had poor oven spring. I was almost ready to give up on sourdough baking but then I bought a stand mixer (ostensibly for my wife’s baking activities). Just for the novelty’s sake I decided to use the mixer to incorporate the starter and salt into the mix. Online people were suggesting about ten minutes of mixing for gluten development. This was a complete game-changer!! Suddenly I got great, consistent oven spring. My current standard loaf is 46% (home-milled) whole wheat (red fife or spelt), 12% (home-milled) whole rye and the balance is bread flour. I currently employ 77% hydration and I autolyse my dough for about two hours before adding 2% salt and 20% starter. I think I could increase my whole grain content, but don’t want to jinx my good luck. While starter health is important, I have found that gluten development is key. I actually keep my starter in the fridge and only feed it the night before I bake. In the morning it has doubled, but I knock it back and I do a fresh feed of about 15% of the weight of my starter. I autolyse my dough at this time and after two hours the starter is rocking to around two and a half times its knocked down volume. After adding starter to my dough, the starter goes back into the fridge. Using this method I don’t need to keep a starter discard pot in my fridge. This works if I bake once per week. I am sure that if the starter sat in the fridge for too long it might need fortification, but this works for my baking schedule. I hope this advice helps someone else who is struggling.

Finally, someone who understands the importance of not being wasteful with Sourdough starter.

Not only do we get terrific sourdough baking advice but your voice is what makes it so easy to listen to you have a beautiful tone to your voice

Love that you didn't throw out the starter and made good use of it!!!!! Best video I've seen on making sourdough bread!

Mike, this is a great video. Thank you! 0:54 establish starter health/activity 2:22 fry up sleepy starter instead of discarding 3:50 autolyse before adding starter 4:49 use baker's percentages 6:10 lower hydration level 7:38 when to use your starter 10:34 stretch and fold, don't knead 10:55 when to finish working the dough 11:41 customise dough proofing around own schedule 12:32 download guides if you like 13:01 ratio of dry to sticky 14:20 generously flour banneton 14:46 No single perfect way to shape your dough 16:42 no fail poke test 18:35 use cold baking tray to prevent burnt bread bottom 19:06 use colour instead of time to judge cooking duration 19:53 it's ok to fail

Sourdough bread tips 🍞: 1. 0:46 Healthy/active sourdough starter 2. 3:47 Autolyse your bread 3. 4:45 Use bakers percentages 4. 6:04 Lower your hydration level 5. 7:32 When to use your starter 9:08 Support the channel 6. 10:18 Stretch and Fold process 7. 10:50 When to finish working the dough 8. 11:28 Let the dough proof on your schedule 9. 12:58 Ratio of dry to sticky 10. 14:14 Generously flour your banneton 11. 14:44 Find your way to shape your dough 12. 16:39 The no-fail poke test 13. 18:27 Baking trays prevent burnt bottoms 14. 18:54 Go off based on color, not time 15. 19:48 It's ok if you fail miserabl

I can’t say how much this helped me, i’m about to make sourdough for the first time! I’ll be coming back to watch you over and over again! THANK YOU!

After a year of trying, and trying...and trying, baking sourdough bread I found your video. A total game changer! It is my first time (after many many attemps) I'm actually satisfied with the result. Better than the best Christmas gift I could find. I will bake many loaves for the Holidays and share them with my family and friends. Thank you sooooo much for that inspiring video. :-)