Recipes & Guides
Step-by-step sourdough recipes, starter guides, and the baking science behind every loaf.
The Complete Guide to Overnight Cold Retarding Your Sourdough
Cold retarding is not just a scheduling hack — it fundamentally changes your bread's flavor, crust, and scoring potential. Here is everything you need to know to do it right.
Team Sourdough Joe · October 4, 2026
Every Way to Steam Your Oven for Sourdough (Ranked by How Well They Work)
Steam is what separates a pale, thick-crusted disappointment from a crackling, mahogany-colored loaf with real oven spring. Here is every method I have tried, honestly ranked.
Team Sourdough Joe · September 29, 2026
Why the Windowpane Test Matters More Than You Think
That thin, stretchy membrane everyone talks about isn't just a party trick. It tells you exactly how your gluten is developing — and when your dough is ready.
Team Sourdough Joe · September 25, 2026
A Starter Feeding Schedule That Actually Fits Your Life
Twice a day, every day, forever? No thanks. Here's how to build a feeding schedule around your actual routine — whether you bake daily or once a month.
Team Sourdough Joe · September 22, 2026
The 30-Minute Rest That Transformed My Sourdough: Understanding Autolyse
Before you add starter, before you add salt, just let the flour and water sit. This simple rest period builds gluten, improves extensibility, and gives you better bread with less effort.
Team Sourdough Joe · September 20, 2026
Your First Rye Sourdough Loaf Without the Frustration
Rye flour is sticky, temperamental, and plays by different rules than wheat. Here's how to bake a gorgeous rye sourdough on your first try — no brick-shaped disasters required.
Team Sourdough Joe · September 18, 2026
What Your Sourdough Crumb Is Trying to Tell You
That cross-section of your loaf is a progress report. Dense, gummy, tunneling, or uneven — each crumb pattern points to a specific fix. Here is how to decode yours.
Team Sourdough Joe · September 15, 2026
Scoring Sourdough: Why Your Cuts Disappear and How to Get a Real Ear
You draw a beautiful score line across your loaf, and twenty minutes later the oven has erased it completely. Here is what is actually going wrong — and the small adjustments that produce dramatic ears every time.
Team Sourdough Joe · September 13, 2026
The Overnight Fridge Trick That Makes Every Sourdough Loaf Better
Putting your shaped dough in the fridge overnight is not just convenient — it develops deeper flavor, makes scoring easier, and fits baking into a busy life.
Team Sourdough Joe · September 11, 2026
Getting Bakery-Level Steam Without a Dutch Oven
You don't need a $300 cast-iron pot to bake great sourdough. These five steam methods create the same crispy, blistered crust using stuff you already own.
Team Sourdough Joe · September 8, 2026