Sourdough bread has taken the internet and our kitchens by storm. But don’t be mistaken, baking a tasty loaf is no easy feat. Here are some of the most common mistakes you might make when baking your beloved bread.  

Mistake #1: Your oven temperature is too cold  

After the lengthy stages of kneading, double (or triple) proofing, and baking, slicing into your sourdough should be a moment of triumph. But if your loaf is dense and riddled with oversized holes by the crust, the issue may lie with your oven temperature. Make sure that you preheat the oven to the correct temperature before baking your placing your loaf in it.   

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Mistake #2: Under-proofing your dough 

It will be very clear if your dough did not proof long enough. How? Your loaf will be flat and dense on the inside – without those lovely air pockets sourdough bread is known for. The dough needs enough time for gluten to develop and for the fermentation process to develop (trapping gas to create and airy texture). How do you know if it’s done proofing? Use the poke test. Use a lightly floured finger and poke your finger in it. If the dough springs back quickly, it’s not ready to bake yet. Another way to see if your dough is ready for the oven is to do the “windowpane test”. Take a small piece of dough and see if you can stretch it enough to create a thin patch of dough that you can see light through it. 

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Mistake #3: You’re not forming it correctly 

Ended up with a flat bread? You may not have shaped your loaf correctly. Forming your loaf is a crucial part for a successfully risen, fluffy sourdough bread. During shaping, it’s crucial to build tension across the surface of the dough – this helps direct the rise vertically rather than allowing it to spread outward. 

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