The journal
Notes from the bench.
24 posts.
- Behind the Scenes·May 14, 2026·6 min read
How We Keep Our Starters Alive (Since 2018)
A look inside our baking facility — the schedule, the flour, and the quiet ritual of filling a hundred jars every morning.
- Guide·April 2, 2026·4 min read
Reviving a Dehydrated Starter, Step by Step
Our dehydrated cultures ship worldwide and last for years on a shelf. Here's exactly how to wake one up in three days.
- Technique·February 20, 2026·5 min read
Why Hydration Matters More Than Your Flour
The single lever every home baker underestimates. A short piece on how much water changes everything about your crumb.
- Explainer·June 10, 2026·7 min read
Feeding Ratios, Explained: 1:1:1, 1:2:2 and Beyond
What the three numbers actually mean, why they matter for timing, and how to pick a ratio for the schedule you actually keep.
- Explainer·May 28, 2026·4 min read
Reading the Jar: How to Know Your Starter Is Ready
Peak, plateau, collapse. The three phases every starter passes through — and the one you want to catch.
- Explainer·May 5, 2026·5 min read
Bulk Ferment by Feel, Not by Clock
Time is a rough guide. The dough itself will tell you when it's ready — if you know what to look for.
- Explainer·March 18, 2026·6 min read
The Flour Actually Matters
Protein, ash, malt, freshness — the four flour variables that quietly decide what your loaf looks like.
- Journal·July 5, 2026·3 min read
Sunday Notes: The 90° Turn
One tiny shaping change — turning the dough 90° between the first and second pre-shape fold — quietly fixed a summer of flat loaves.
- Journal·June 28, 2026·4 min read
Sunday Notes: A Case for the Boring Bake
A week of chasing a fancy inclusion loaf reminded me why the plain country boule is the loaf worth mastering first.
- Journal·June 21, 2026·3 min read
Sunday Notes: The Bench Scraper Does the Shaping
A trick I picked up from a Reddit shaping video I keep coming back to: let the scraper build tension, not your hands.
- Journal·June 14, 2026·4 min read
Sunday Notes: Why My Rye Wouldn't Wake
A rye starter I've kept for two years went silent for four days. Here's what actually brought it back.
- Journal·June 7, 2026·3 min read
Sunday Notes: Ovens Lie
A $12 oven thermometer changed more about my bread than any technique change ever has.
- Journal·May 31, 2026·5 min read
Sunday Notes: The Fridge as a Second Baker
How offloading half the schedule to the fridge made weekend baking possible again.
- Journal·May 24, 2026·3 min read
Sunday Notes: Salt Goes In Last, Always
Every bad loaf this month traced back to the same mistake: I stopped bothering to hold the salt out.
- Journal·May 17, 2026·4 min read
Sunday Notes: The Half-Starter Bake
What happens when you use half the levain a recipe calls for — and why it's the best summer trick I know.
- Journal·May 10, 2026·4 min read
Sunday Notes: Sourdough Bagels, Finally
After a year of gummy, dense attempts, one change to the boil pulled it together.
- Journal·May 3, 2026·3 min read
Sunday Notes: The 'Just Bake It' Loaf
Sometimes the dough isn't right. Bake it anyway. You learn more from an ugly loaf than a skipped one.
- Journal·April 26, 2026·3 min read
Sunday Notes: The 45-Minute Preheat
A Dutch oven needs longer than you think. The proof is on the bottom of the loaf.
- Journal·April 19, 2026·4 min read
Sunday Notes: The Case for a Second Starter
A rye starter alongside the white one changed the flavor of every loaf without changing a recipe.
- Journal·April 12, 2026·4 min read
Sunday Notes: Reading a Poor Loaf
A slice-open post-mortem on one bad bake tells you more than a stack of successful ones.
- Journal·April 5, 2026·4 min read
Sunday Notes: Stiff Levains for Sane Weekends
A stiff levain has a peak window that lasts hours instead of minutes. Life-changing for a distracted parent.
- Journal·March 29, 2026·5 min read
Sunday Notes: Why I Stopped Chasing Big Holes
The 'wide open crumb' Instagram aesthetic is a great sandwich-ruiner. Here's what I chase now instead.
- Guide·July 15, 2026·12 min read
How to Make Sourdough Starter From Scratch: A 7-Day Beginner's Guide
A step-by-step guide to building a live, active sourdough starter from just flour and water — in about a week, with no special equipment.
- Guide·July 16, 2026·14 min read
Sourdough Discard: What It Is, How to Store It, and the Best Recipes to Use It
Everything you need to know about sourdough discard — what it is, why you have it, how long it lasts, and our favorite ways to cook with it instead of throwing it away.