Stop baking dense, flat, or gummy loaves. This category diagnoses the most common sourdough failures and shows you exactly what went wrong and how to fix it. Learn to read your dough's visual cues, recognize under- and over-fermentation, and turn frustrating results into reliable, airy bread.
Dense, flat, or gummy loaf? Here are the 10 most common beginner sourdough mistakes and the quick fixes that finally give you an open, airy crumb.
Jun 29, 2026 · 12 min read
Sourdough dough slack, sticky, or tearing? Learn why it won't come together and the simple gluten and hydration fixes that finally make it smooth.
Jun 29, 2026 · 12 min read
Giant tunnels or a tight, gummy crumb? Learn exactly why your sourdough holes are uneven and how to fix open vs. closed crumb for beginners.
Jun 29, 2026 · 12 min read
Sourdough crust rock-hard or refusing to brown? Learn the steam, temperature, and timing fixes that give you a crisp, golden crust every bake.
Jun 29, 2026 · 11 min read
Flat sourdough with no oven spring? Learn the real causes—heat, steam, scoring, proofing, and starter strength—plus simple fixes for a tall, airy loaf.
Jun 29, 2026 · 13 min read
Confused by dense or flat loaves? Learn the exact signs of under- vs. over-proofed sourdough, plus the poke test, so you can fix proofing for good.
Jun 29, 2026 · 8 min read
Learn the exact visual cues—jiggle, bubbles, dome, and rise %—that tell you when sourdough bulk fermentation is done. A beginner's checklist to stop guessing.
Jun 29, 2026 · 12 min read
Is the inside of your sourdough wet, gummy, or doughy? Learn how to tell underbaking from under-fermentation and the exact fixes for a light, airy crumb.
Jun 29, 2026 · 12 min read
Is your sourdough flat, wide, and refusing to rise tall? Learn the 7 real causes of pancake loaves—from over-proofing to weak shaping—and how to fix each one.
Jun 29, 2026 · 14 min read
Dense, heavy sourdough? Here are the 8 most common causes of a tight crumb, ranked, with a simple fix for each so your next loaf rises light and airy.
Jun 29, 2026 · 17 min read