When I first started baking sourdough like a year ago, I thought it was going to be way simpler than it actually is. I figured you just mix flour and water, feed your starter, and boom, perfect bread. Turns out there's a lot more to it than that. I've made some pretty hilarious mistakes along the way, but I've also learned a ton. So here are the things I really wish someone had told me before I started this whole thing.
First, sourdough takes actual patience and you can't rush it. I learned this the hard way like a million times. My starter Yeaston needs consistent feeding schedules, and then your dough needs time to bulk ferment properly, which can take hours depending on how warm it is. In Vegas, my bulk fermentation goes way faster than in cooler places because of the heat. I used to get impatient and try to bake before the dough was actually ready, and let me tell you, those loaves were not good. Now I know that you have to trust the process and let it do its thing. It's actually kind of relaxing once you stop fighting against it.
Second, your starter is basically the heart of everything. Yeaston is literally the reason my bread works. I used to not understand why people talked about their starters like they were pets, but now I totally get it. When Yeaston is happy and bubbly and active, my bread turns out amazing. When I was neglecting to feed him properly or keeping him in a cold spot, my loaves would come out dense and disappointing. Taking care of your starter isn't complicated, but it has to be consistent. That's the real secret.
Third, temperature matters way more than I thought. Since I live in the desert, I spent way too long trying to figure out why my fermentation times were so different from recipes online. Turns out heat speeds everything up, and I had to learn how to adjust my process to work with Vegas instead of against it. If your kitchen is cold, your bulk fermentation takes longer. If it's hot, everything moves fast. Understanding this changed how I actually plan my baking days.
Fourth, your first loaves probably won't be perfect, and honestly that's completely fine. I made some genuinely terrible bread at the beginning. One time I forgot to score my loaves and they exploded in the Dutch oven. Another time I overproofed and ended up with this flat, gummy mess. But every single mistake taught me something useful, and that's why my customers actually get good bread now.
Finally, small changes to your recipe or technique can totally change how your bread turns out. Changing water temperature, adjusting how many stretch-and-folds you do, using a different scoring pattern, even just tweaking how long you bake it can make a huge difference in your crumb structure and crust. I'm still experimenting and learning with Rise and Grind, which is honestly the best part about doing this.
So if you're thinking about starting your sourdough journey, I hope this helps you out. Happy baking (and eating)!
Ready to taste the real thing?
Order This Week's Bread →