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The Sourdough Method
Free Beginner's Course

Bake Amazing Sourdough at Home—Even If You're a Complete Beginner

Simple recipes, step-by-step guides, baking schedules, and expert tips to help anyone master the art of sourdough fermentation.

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A golden-brown sourdough boule dusted with flour on a rustic linen cloth
“The crust crackled as it cooled. I never thought I could make something this beautiful in my own kitchen.”
— Sarah J., Student Baker
The Editorial

Featured Articles

A glass jar of active bubbling sourdough starter beside a wooden spoon
Beginner Guides

The Ultimate Guide to Capturing Your Own Wild Yeast

A patient, seven-day method for building a lively sourdough starter from nothing more than flour and water.

July 12, 202612 min read
Hands shaping a round of sourdough dough on a floured wooden surface
Troubleshooting

Why Is My Dough So Sticky? Five Fixes That Actually Work

Sticky, slack, uncooperative dough almost always comes down to one of these five variables. Here's how to diagnose it.

July 5, 20268 min read
Sliced sourdough bread showing an open airy crumb on a wooden board
Tips & Techniques

Mastering the Overnight Baking Schedule

How to bake fresh bread before breakfast without setting an alarm at three in the morning.

June 24, 20266 min read
Sourdough crackers with rosemary
Sourdough Discard

Ten-Minute Sourdough Discard Crackers

A weekly recipe that turns leftover starter into thin, shattering crackers with rosemary and sea salt.

May 28, 20264 min read
A rustic country loaf with a deep golden crust on a linen cloth
Recipes

The Classic Country Loaf

Our house recipe — a 75% hydration boule with a crackling crust and open, custardy crumb. The one loaf every home baker should master.

July 18, 202610 min read
A seeded whole wheat pan loaf sliced open on a wooden board
Recipes

Seeded Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf

A soft, sliceable pan loaf built for weekday toast — 40% whole wheat, laced with sunflower, flax, and sesame.

June 15, 20268 min read
A spoonful of bubbly sourdough starter floating in a glass of water
Beginner Guides

The Sourdough Starter Float Test — Does It Actually Work?

How to run the float test, what a sinking starter really means, and three more reliable signs your starter is ready to bake.

July 20, 20266 min read
Your Journey

The Beginner Roadmap

Five steps from empty jar to that first perfect loaf. Take them one at a time — the dough will teach you the rest.

  1. 01

    Cultivate a Starter

    Bring flour and water to life over seven patient days.

  2. 02

    Mix Your First Dough

    Autolyse, salt, and the rhythmic cycle of stretch-and-folds.

  3. 03

    Bulk Ferment

    Read your dough — bubbles, jiggle, and the windowpane test.

  4. 04

    Shape & Cold Proof

    Build surface tension and let time do the work overnight.

  5. 05

    Bake with Steam

    Score with confidence and open the oven to that first ear.

Follow the Full Roadmap
Fresh from the Oven

Latest Recipes

A glass jar of active bubbling sourdough starter beside a wooden spoon
Beginner Guides

The Ultimate Guide to Capturing Your Own Wild Yeast

July 12, 202612 min read
Hands shaping a round of sourdough dough on a floured wooden surface
Troubleshooting

Why Is My Dough So Sticky? Five Fixes That Actually Work

July 5, 20268 min read
Sliced sourdough bread showing an open airy crumb on a wooden board
Tips & Techniques

Mastering the Overnight Baking Schedule

June 24, 20266 min read
A golden sourdough boule with a pronounced ear
Tips & Techniques

The Anatomy of a Perfect Ear

June 10, 20265 min read
The Workbench

Recommended Equipment

The four tools we actually use every week. Start with these before you buy anything else.

Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we personally bake with.
Enameled Dutch OvenSteam

Enameled Dutch Oven

Traps steam for the darkest, glossiest crust — the single most important upgrade.

$85 – $220View →
Precision Digital ScaleMeasure

Precision Digital Scale

Baking is a science. A gram-accurate scale removes half the variables.

$18 – $35View →
Rattan BannetonProof

Rattan Banneton

Wicks moisture during cold proofing and imprints beautiful spirals.

$12 – $28View →
Stainless Bench ScraperHandle

Stainless Bench Scraper

Your best friend for portioning, shaping, and rescuing sticky dough.

$8 – $15View →
The Weekly Rise

Better bread, delivered on Sundays.

Join other talented bakers. One recipe, one troubleshooting tip, and one baking schedule — every week, no filler.