For anyone looking to master sourdough, understanding how dough develops over time is essential. Whether you’re a beginner searching for bread baking classes near me or an experienced baker looking to refine your craft, knowing how to shape, strengthen, and ferment your dough properly will take your bread to the next level.
As I work through my 1,000-loaf journey, each bake is an opportunity to refine my process. Loaf #10 is all about digging deep into the five key factors of sourdough baking and how working the dough at different stages impacts the final result.
And if you’re ready to take your baking skills to the next level, join one of our Introduction to Sourdough Baking Classes and start mastering these techniques with hands-on guidance!
The Five Key Factors of Bread Making
When it comes to baking sourdough, five essential factors determine the success of your loaf:
- Flour Selection – The type of flour impacts everything from gluten development to flavor.
- Hydration – The water-to-flour ratio affects dough texture, fermentation, and crumb structure.
- Mixing & Kneading – How you develop gluten affects the dough’s strength.
- Fermentation Time – Longer fermentation leads to better flavor and texture.
- Baking Environment – Steam, temperature, and heat transfer define the crust and oven spring.
For this bake, I focused on refining how each of these factors played a role in my dough from start to finish.
Flour Selection: The Foundation of Great Dough
Not all flour is created equal. For Loaf #10, I experimented with a blend of bread flour and whole wheat flour, aiming for a balance of strength and deep, complex flavor.
- Bread flour provided a strong gluten structure for better rise.
- Whole wheat flour added nutty depth and boosted fermentation activity.
If you’re learning how to bake sourdough, choosing the right flour is a critical step. A good sourdough baking class will walk you through different types of flour and their impact on hydration, elasticity, and final loaf texture.
Hydration: Finding the Perfect Dough Consistency
Hydration levels define the structure of sourdough. A higher hydration dough creates an open, airy crumb, while lower hydration makes shaping easier.
For this bake, I worked with 75% hydration—a great middle ground for strength and extensibility. As I turned the dough throughout bulk fermentation, I could feel it gradually transform:
- Initial mix – The dough was sticky and slack.
- First fold – It started gaining elasticity.
- Final fold – The dough had developed enough strength to hold its shape.
This gradual change is what makes working with sourdough so rewarding. Each turn builds tension and structure, preparing the dough for a strong rise in the oven.
If you’re struggling with sticky dough or flat loaves, a hands-on sourdough workshop can help you troubleshoot hydration and gluten development.
Mixing & Kneading: Strengthening the Dough
Developing gluten properly is one of the most important steps in sourdough baking. For this bake, I used the stretch-and-fold method instead of traditional kneading.
- Why? Because it allows the dough to strengthen naturally over time, reducing effort while improving texture.
- How? Every 30 minutes during bulk fermentation, I gently stretched the dough and folded it over itself.
By the final fold, the dough was smooth, elastic, and ready for shaping.
If you’ve ever struggled with weak or dense dough, mastering this technique in a bread-making class can be a game-changer.
Fermentation Time: Letting the Dough Develop Flavor
Fermentation isn’t just about rising—it’s where sourdough gets its signature taste. For Loaf #10, I experimented with an extended cold fermentation overnight.
Here’s why long fermentation matters:
- Better flavor – The dough developed deeper complexity.
- Improved texture – Slow fermentation enhanced gluten structure.
- Easier handling – Chilled dough is firmer and easier to shape.
This is one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned so far—patience makes better bread. Rushing fermentation leads to bland, tight-crumbed loaves, while a longer rise unlocks a light, airy interior with rich flavor.
In our sourdough classes, we teach how to manage fermentation for the best balance of rise, structure, and taste.
Baking Environment: Steam, Heat, and Crust Perfection
Finally, it all comes down to the bake. For this loaf, I tested two different steaming methods to see what produced the best crust:
- Dutch oven bake – Trapped steam naturally for the first 20 minutes.
- Open oven with steam tray – A pan of boiling water created a humid environment.
Result? The Dutch oven once again delivered the crispiest crust with the deepest caramelization. If you’re baking at home and struggling with a tough or dull crust, try trapping steam to improve oven spring.
Loaf #10: A Perfectly Developed Dough
This bake was a reminder that great sourdough is built step by step. From the first mix to the final crust, each stage plays a role in shaping the final loaf.
If you want to go beyond trial and error and really understand how to control these factors, sign up for one of our Introduction to Sourdough Baking Classes.
Whether you’re searching for:
- “Sourdough class near me”
- “Bread baking workshop”
- “How to make better sourdough”
Our hands-on classes will teach you the skills to bake incredible loaves at home.
Let’s keep baking, learning, and mastering the craft—one loaf at a time.