Card 1 — The Goal
🫙 The 1:1:1 Feeding: Equal parts starter, flour, water. Doubles within 6 hours = ready to bake. Room temperature for active baking weeks; fridge for vacations.
Sourdough Without the Mystery: 5 Fixes for Frustrated Bakers
Card 2 — Step 1
🌊 The Float Test: Teaspoon of starter into water — floats = airy and ready, sinks = feed it and check back in 4 hours. Thirty seconds settles the 'is it ready' debate.
Card 3 — Step 2
🧱 The Dense Loaf Diagnosis: Heavy, tight loaf? Underproofing, almost every time. Add 30 minutes to fermentation next bake — sourdough patience is measured in half-hours.
Card 4 — Step 3
🖐️ The Sticky Dough Protocol: Floured hands, wet scraper, and quick folds instead of kneading. High-hydration dough is supposed to be sticky — fight it less, fold it more.
Card 5 — The Cheat Sheet
🫒 The Olive Oil Crumb: One tablespoon of olive oil in the dough = softer crumb that stays sandwich-tender for days. The difference between rustic and crumbly.