Glossary
20 sourdough terms every baker should know
The working vocabulary of home sourdough — covers the math (baker's percentage, hydration, starter discount), the techniques (autolyse, lamination, windowpane), the structural signals (crumb, ear, oven spring), and the culture types (levain, poolish, biga, stiff starter). Each entry links to the calculator or guide that uses it.
Baker's percentage
A formula notation where flour weight equals 100% and every other ingredient is expressed as a percentage of that flour. Water at 70% means 700 g water per 1000 g flour.
Why it matters: Lets you scale recipes precisely between a 500 g test loaf and a 2 kg batch without re-doing the math.
Hydration
Total water as a percentage of total flour, after accounting for water already in the levain. 75% hydration on 1000 g flour = 750 g total water in the dough.
Why it matters: Hydration controls crumb openness, dough handling, and bake style. Higher hydration = bigger holes + harder shaping; lower = tighter crumb + easier handling.
Levain/luh-VAN/— also: preferment, build
A preferment built specifically for one bake — typically 4–12 hours before the final mix — using a small amount of mature starter, fresh flour, and water.
Why it matters: A purpose-built levain has more predictable peak timing than refrigerated starter pulled straight from the jar; flavor is also fresher and milder.
Starter— also: mother, chef, culture
A perpetually maintained colony of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria living in a flour-water mix, refreshed at regular intervals (daily on counter or weekly in the fridge).
Why it matters: The starter IS the leavening agent in sourdough — replacing commercial yeast — and its activity profile shapes both flavor and rise speed.
Autolyse/AW-toh-leez/
A rest of flour and water alone (no salt, no starter) for 20–60 minutes before the rest of the ingredients are added.
Why it matters: Hydration distributes evenly + enzymes start working on starches, which shortens mix time and improves extensibility without overworking.
Bulk fermentation— also: bulk, first proof
The first rise after the dough is fully mixed and before it is divided and shaped. Typical duration 3–6 hours at 75–78°F depending on starter quantity and flour.
Why it matters: Most flavor and gluten structure develops here. Under-fermented bulk gives a tight gummy crumb; over-fermented bulk gives a slack flat dough.
Final proof— also: second proof, bench proof
The rest after shaping and before the bake. Either room-temperature (1–3 hours) or cold-retarded in the fridge (8–24 hours).
Why it matters: Bake-readiness is judged here via the poke test — a gentle finger press should slowly spring back about halfway.
Cold retard— also: cold proof, fridge proof
Holding a shaped loaf in the refrigerator (typically 38–40°F / 3–5°C) for 8–24 hours during final proof.
Why it matters: Slows yeast activity while letting LAB (lactic acid bacteria) continue working — develops a deeper sour flavor and makes scoring easier (firmer dough).
Windowpane test
Stretching a small piece of dough thin enough to see light through it without tearing. The translucent membrane indicates well-developed gluten.
Why it matters: A reliable signal that mixing or stretch-and-fold is done — useful for high-hydration doughs where dough feel alone is hard to read.
Stretch and fold— also: coil fold, S&F
A periodic gentle dough manipulation (every 30–45 min during the first 2 hours of bulk) instead of upfront kneading. Wet hands, lift one side, fold over the center, rotate, repeat.
Why it matters: Builds strength in high-hydration doughs that would tear under mechanical mixing — gentler on gluten and easier on the home baker.
Lamination
A one-time spread-and-fold technique early in bulk: dough is stretched into a thin sheet on a wet counter, then folded back onto itself like a letter.
Why it matters: Aligns gluten strands in a single high-hydration dough — useful at 80%+ hydration where individual stretch-and-folds aren't enough.
Banneton/BAN-uh-tawn/— also: brotform, proofing basket
A coiled willow or rattan basket (round or oval) lined with linen or used bare, that supports a shaped loaf during final proof and imprints a spiral pattern on the crust.
Why it matters: Provides shape support while wicking surface moisture — important for high-hydration doughs that would otherwise pancake.
Crumb
The interior structure of the baked loaf. "Open crumb" means large irregular holes (typical of high-hydration country loaves); "tight crumb" means small even bubbles (typical of sandwich bread or rye).
Why it matters: Crumb is a primary visual quality signal in sourdough — it tells you about hydration, bulk timing, shaping tension, and oven spring all at once.
Oven spring
The rapid initial rise during the first ~10 minutes of baking, before the crust sets, driven by trapped CO₂ expansion and steam.
Why it matters: Most of the loaf's final height comes from oven spring rather than fermentation — strong spring requires under-proofed (not over-proofed) dough + steam + high initial heat.
Ear
The raised edge along a score line on the baked crust, where the dough lifts and curls during oven spring.
Why it matters: A pronounced ear is a visual marker of good shaping tension, correct scoring angle (≈30° to the surface, not 90°), and adequate oven spring.
Pre-ferment
Any dough portion mixed in advance of the final dough — includes levain, poolish, biga, pâte fermentée, and sponge. Typically 10–40% of the final flour weight.
Why it matters: Flavor development depends on time, so building a pre-ferment lets you stretch fermentation across days without over-fermenting the bulk.
Poolish/POO-leesh/
A 100%-hydration pre-ferment (equal weights flour and water) with a small amount of yeast or starter, fermented 8–16 hours at room temperature. French origin, attributed to Polish bakers in 19th-century Vienna and Paris.
Why it matters: Adds a soft, nutty, slightly tangy flavor — common in French baguette and pain de mie recipes.
Biga/BEE-gah/
A 50–60%-hydration pre-ferment (drier than poolish) with a small amount of yeast or starter, fermented 12–18 hours. Italian origin.
Why it matters: Drier than poolish so it ferments slower with more acetic acid + complex flavor — used in ciabatta and Italian rustic breads.
Stiff starter— also: lievito madre, pasta madre
A 50%-hydration starter (twice as much flour as water) maintained as a firm dough ball rather than a batter.
Why it matters: Slower-fermenting + milder + more acetic-acid-leaning than a 100%-hydration starter — traditional in Italian panettone, pandoro, and colomba.
Discard
The portion of starter removed during a feeding cycle, typically to keep total volume manageable.
Why it matters: Discard isn't trash — it's an active fermented ingredient that adds tangy flavor to pancakes, waffles, crackers, and quick breads. Discounting it counts against your dough's starter budget.
Use this glossary in your bake
The calculator at the home page handles every measurement and ratio named here automatically — pick a hydration, pick a flour, pick a recipe, get exact gram weights. You don't need to memorize the math.