Sourdough in Hot Weather: Slowing Down Fast Dough
Cold water, less starter, a smaller rise and help from the fridge keep a summer dough from racing past its peak before…
7 min read
Month: October 2026
Enriched Doughs Explained: Milk, Butter, Eggs and Sugar
What milk, butter, eggs and sugar each do to bread dough, how much of each to expect from soft rolls to brioche,…
7 min read
Autolyse: What It Does and When to Skip It
Resting flour and water before the starter and salt go in makes dough smoother and easier to mix, but some doughs are…
7 min read
Liquid vs Dry Measuring Cups: Does It Matter?
Dry cups are made for levelling and liquid cups for reading at eye level, and using the wrong one matters far more…
7 min read
How to Tell When Sourdough Is Fully Baked
Colour on the sides, a centre near 96 °C and a hollow-sounding base: how to read each sign, and what to do…
8 min read
Pizza Stone vs Pizza Steel in a Home Oven
Steel browns a pizza base faster in an ordinary oven while stone is gentler and lighter, so the right choice depends on…
7 min read
How to Shape a Sourdough Boule
Pre-shape, rest, fold and tighten: a step-by-step way to give a sourdough boule the surface tension it needs to rise tall.
7 min read
How to Convert Any Yeast Recipe to Sourdough
Swap the yeast for ripe starter, take out the flour and water it brings, and give the dough the extra hours it…
7 min read
Cold Retard: Proofing Sourdough in the Fridge
Proofing shaped sourdough in the fridge deepens flavour, firms the dough for scoring and lets you bake on your own schedule.
7 min read
Gas Mark Temperatures Explained
A full gas mark chart with Fahrenheit, conventional and fan settings, plus what old recipes mean by a slow or hot oven.
6 min read