Recipes & Guides
Step-by-step sourdough recipes, starter guides, and the baking science behind every loaf.
Open Crumb vs Tight Crumb Explained
Open crumb gets all the Instagram love, but tight crumb has its own advantages. Here is what determines crumb structure and how to control it in your bakes.
Team Sourdough Joe · August 23, 2026
Five Ways to Make Sourdough More Flavorful
If your sourdough bread tastes bland or one-dimensional, these five simple changes will unlock deeper, more complex flavors in every loaf.
Team Sourdough Joe · August 16, 2026
What Is a Levain and Why Do Some Recipes Want You to Build One?
You've got a healthy starter, so why do some recipes ask you to build a separate levain? Here's the difference, why it matters for flavor and timing, and how to build one that peaks at exactly the right moment.
Team Sourdough Joe · August 2, 2026
Why Your Sourdough Dough Is Too Sticky to Handle (and What to Actually Do About It)
Sticky dough isn't always a problem — but when it's unworkable, you need real solutions. Here's how to tell the difference between normal tacky dough and a hydration disaster, plus six fixes that actually work.
Team Sourdough Joe · July 26, 2026
Coil Fold vs Stretch and Fold: Which Technique When
Two popular dough-handling techniques, each with its strengths. Learn when to use coil folds versus stretch and folds for the best results.
Team Sourdough Joe · July 21, 2026
Baking Sourdough in a Cast Iron Skillet: Crusty Edges, Golden Bottom
Your grandmother's cast iron skillet makes a surprisingly good sourdough vessel. Here's how to get a golden bottom crust, crispy edges, and gorgeous oven spring without a Dutch oven or baking stone.
Team Sourdough Joe · July 19, 2026
Scoring Sourdough Like You Mean It: Patterns, Blades, and the Science Behind the Slash
Scoring isn't just decoration. The way you cut your dough controls how it expands in the oven, affects the crust, and determines whether you get that coveted ear. Here's everything you need to know.
Team Sourdough Joe · June 28, 2026
Why Your Sourdough Keeps Spreading Flat (And How to Fix Your Shaping)
That pancake-shaped loaf isn't a fermentation problem. It's a shaping problem. Here are the techniques that finally gave me tall, round loaves with real oven spring.
Team Sourdough Joe · June 19, 2026
High-Altitude Sourdough Baking Adjustments
Baking above 3,000 feet? Your sourdough behaves differently up there. Here is a complete guide to adjusting every variable for altitude.
Team Sourdough Joe · June 12, 2026
Troubleshooting Gummy Sourdough Bread
Your sourdough looks perfect on the outside but the crumb is gummy, sticky, or doughy inside? Here are the most likely causes and fixes.
Team Sourdough Joe · June 2, 2026