Sourdough Guides
Long-form reference articles on baker's percentage, hydration selection, starter discount math, temperature and fermentation, whole-grain adjustments, and troubleshooting. Each guide includes worked examples and source citations.
Baker's Percentage Explained: The Math Behind Every Sourdough Recipe
Baker's percentage uses flour weight as 100% and expresses every other ingredient as a percentage. Explained with 4 worked examples, step-by-step math, and conversion guides.
Bread Hydration Chart: Ciabatta, Focaccia, Baguette, Pizza & 8 More Classics
The hydration of every classic bread — ciabatta 78-85%, focaccia 75-85%, baguette 65-72%, Neapolitan pizza 60-70%, pain de campagne 72-78% — with salt %, flour mix, and why each range works. Sourced formulas.
Flour Protein Content Chart: Tipo 00, Bread Flour, Whole Wheat & More (%)
Protein percentage for every common sourdough flour — Tipo 00 (11-12.5%), bread flour (12-13.5%), whole wheat (13-14%), spelt, einkorn, and more — plus what protein actually predicts about hydration and structure.
How to Choose Sourdough Hydration: A Decision Framework by Flour × Style × Skill
The right sourdough hydration depends on your flour, desired bread style, and skill level. Decision framework with target ranges for each combination and troubleshooting tips.
Rye Flour Types Explained: Light vs Medium vs Dark (Pumpernickel), Protein & Hydration
Light, medium, and dark rye flour compared — protein (8-10.5%), ash, absorption, and why rye needs 80-110% hydration. Pumpernickel vs rye clarified, with Hamelman-sourced formulas.
Starter Discount Math: Why Your Levain Changes the Final Dough
Levain contains flour and water that count toward final recipe totals. Learn the starter discount calculation with 3 worked examples so your recipes hit their actual hydration target.
Sticky Sourdough Dough: A Diagnostic Flowchart for 7 Common Causes
Sticky dough during folding or shaping isn't always too-high hydration. Diagnose 7 possible causes with a step-by-step flowchart and specific fixes for each.
Temperature and Fermentation Time: How Your Kitchen Changes Every Sourdough Recipe
Kitchen temperature controls fermentation speed. Learn the multipliers for 58°F to 95°F and adjust any recipe for your actual conditions with 4 real-world case studies.
Vital Wheat Gluten in Sourdough Bread: How Much to Add & Hydration Adjustment
Vital wheat gluten in sourdough: it's a 1-3% additive (75-80% protein, not a standalone flour) that strengthens whole-grain and low-protein blends. Absorbs 1.6× its weight — add ~1% hydration per 1% VWG. Bob's Red Mill-sourced.
Whole Grain Sourdough Hydration: How Much Water for Whole Wheat, Rye & Spelt
How much more water whole wheat, rye, spelt and other whole grains need vs bread flour — the exact absorption multipliers and hydration adjustments, with worked examples.
Looking up a specific term?
The sourdough glossary covers 20 working terms — baker's percentage, levain, autolyse, banneton, crumb, ear, poolish, biga, stiff starter, and the rest — with plain-English definitions and links to the calculator surface that uses each one.
Equipment for working through the guides
A short, honest baking kit. The 0.1 g scale matters most: every guide works in grams. The Dutch oven is what turns a good crumb into a great crust.
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Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g)View on Amazon →- Dutch oven / combo cookerView on Amazon →
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