Notes From a Year of Sourdough
Fifty-two loaves later, the handful of things that actually made a difference — and the many that did not.
Alex Rowan1 min read
I baked one loaf a week for a year. Some were glorious. Several were doorstops. Here's what I learned, in roughly descending order of importance.
What mattered
- A lively starter. If it doesn't double within six hours of feeding, nothing else you do will save the loaf.
- Watching the dough, not the clock. Bulk fermentation is done when the dough is airy, domed, and jiggles — not when the recipe says so.
- A hot Dutch oven. Preheat it for a full 45 minutes. Really.
- Patience after baking. Wait at least an hour before slicing. The crumb is still setting.
What didn't matter (much)
- Expensive flour. Good flour helps, but a decent supermarket bread flour works fine.
- Fancy scoring patterns. A single confident slash is all you need.
- Exact hydration percentages, at least until the basics are second nature.
My weekly rhythm
Fri 9pm feed starter
Sat 9am mix, rest, add salt
Sat 9–1 four sets of stretch and folds
Sat 1–4 bulk ferment, shape
Sat night cold proof in the fridge
Sun 8am bake
The best thing about bread, I think, is that it refuses to be rushed. It's one of the few things in my week that runs entirely on its own time.