https://www.levainlog.com/posts/ Recent content in Posts on Levain Log Hugo en-us Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.levainlog.com/posts/5-steps-that-improved-my-sourdough/ Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.levainlog.com/posts/5-steps-that-improved-my-sourdough/ <p>Sourdough has a way of humbling you. You can follow the same recipe twice and get completely different results. For a long time I assumed that was just the nature of it — until I started paying closer attention to a few specific things. Here&rsquo;s what actually moved the needle for me.</p> <h2 id="1-tracking-the-start-time-of-bulk-fermentation">1. Tracking the start time of bulk fermentation</h2> <p>It sounds obvious, but I wasn&rsquo;t doing it consistently. I&rsquo;d mix the dough, get distracted, and lose track of when bulk actually began. Once I started logging the exact start time, I had a real baseline to work from. Everything else depends on it.</p> https://www.levainlog.com/posts/introducing-levain-log/ Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.levainlog.com/posts/introducing-levain-log/ <p>Sourdough baking is part science, part intuition. Most baking apps treat it like a checklist — set a timer, follow the steps, done. But anyone who has baked sourdough knows it doesn&rsquo;t work that way.</p> <p>Bulk fermentation time depends on your starter&rsquo;s activity, your dough temperature, your kitchen&rsquo;s ambient temperature, and a dozen other factors. A 4-hour bulk at 78°F is a completely different beast from a 4-hour bulk at 68°F.</p>