Document the foundational details of your baking session. Environmental factors significantly influence sourdough behavior, so accuracy here helps correlate results with conditions.
Baker Name or Initials
Baking Date
Location (City/Region)
Kitchen Elevation (meters above sea level)
Average Kitchen Humidity (%)
Is your starter at peak activity?
Describe peak indicators (bubbles, dome, float test)
What stage was it at? (e.g., just fed, post-peak, hooch present)
Session Goals or Experiment Hypothesis
Your starter is the heart of sourdough. Detailed characteristics help you understand its behavior and how it affects the final loaf.
Starter Age (in days since creation)
Starter Hydration Ratio (e.g., 1:1:1)
Primary Flour Used for Starter Feeding
All-Purpose Flour
Bread Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
Rye Flour
Mixed Flour Blend
Hours Since Last Feeding
Did you build a separate levain for this bake?
Levain build details (ratio, flour used, fermentation time)
Starter Observations Before Use
Precise recipe formulation is crucial for reproducibility. The flour blend determines flavor, fermentation speed, and crumb structure. Ensure percentages sum to 100%.
Total Flour Weight (grams)
Hydration Percentage (%)
Salt Percentage (%)
White Flour Percentage (%)
Whole Wheat Flour Percentage (%)
Rye Flour Percentage (%)
Did you include other specialty flours?
List other flours and their percentages
Additional Ingredients (seeds, nuts, inclusions)
Water Type Used
Tap Water
Filtered Water
Bottled Water
Other
The initial mixing stage sets the foundation for gluten development. Autolyse can significantly improve dough extensibility and reduce mixing time.
Mixing Start Time
Dough Temperature After Mixing (°C)
Did you perform an autolyse?
Autolyse Duration (minutes)
Reason for skipping autolyse
Dough Feel & Consistency After Initial Mix/Autolyse
Track the critical fermentation stages. Visual cues and temperature data here are essential for diagnosing crumb structure and oven spring outcomes.
Fermentation & Baking Timeline
Stage | Start Time | Room Temperature (°C) | Dough Temperature (°C) | Visual Observations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | B | C | D | E | F | ||
1 | Autolyse | 9:00 AM | 22 | 21 | Flour fully hydrated | Used room temperature water | |
2 | Bulk Fermentation Start | 9:30 AM | 22 | 24 | Shaggy dough, sticky | Added starter and salt | |
3 | Bulk Fermentation Mid-point | 11:30 AM | 23 | 25 | Slightly puffy, bubbles | Performed 2 coil folds | |
4 | Bulk Fermentation End | 1:30 PM | 24 | 26 | Doubled, jiggly | Windowpane test passed | |
5 | Final Proof | 2:00 PM | 24 | 25 | Shaped, in banneton | Seam side up | |
6 | Bake Start | 6:00 PM | 25 | 24 | Cold retarded 4 hours | Scored, Dutch oven | |
7 | |||||||
8 | |||||||
9 | |||||||
10 |
Shaping builds surface tension for oven spring. Final proofing conditions directly impact the loaf's final volume and crumb structure.
Shaping Start Time
Primary Shaping Method
Tension Pulls (Traditional)
Envelope Fold & Stitch
Coil Fold Shaping
Minimal Handling
Other
Did you perform a pre-shape before final shaping?
Bench Rest Duration (minutes)
Proofing Vessel Type
Final Proof Duration (hours)
Proofing Temperature (°C)
Did you cold retard (refrigerate) the dough?
Cold Retard Duration (hours)
Pre-Bake Dough Assessment
Oven setup and baking technique are critical for crust development, oven spring, and preventing a gummy crumb. Document your methods precisely.
Oven Preheat Start Time
Oven Preheat Temperature (°C)
Oven Type & Setup
Conventional Home Oven
Convection Oven
Dutch Oven (Covered)
Combo Cooker
Wood-fired Oven
Other
Did you use a baking stone or steel?
Stone/Steel Position (rack level)
Steam Generation Method
Dutch Oven Lid (Closed)
Ice Cubes in Tray
Water Spray/Mist
Lava Rocks with Water
Steamed Towel
No Added Steam
Scoring Pattern Description
Loaf Loaded into Oven Time
Initial Bake Temperature with Steam (°C)
Final Bake Temperature (°C)
Total Bake Time (minutes)
Did you vent/remove steam mid-bake?
Steam Removal Time (minutes into bake)
Final Internal Bread Temperature (°C)
Evaluate the final product objectively. This section helps you correlate techniques with outcomes and track improvement over time.
Cooling Time Before Cutting (minutes)
Final Crust & Crumb Overall Satisfaction
Crust Color Satisfaction (1=too pale, 5=perfectly caramelized)
Crumb Openness/Airiness (1=dense, 5=perfectly open)
Ear Development (1=no ear, 5=prominent ear)
Crumb Structure Description
Aroma Notes
Flavor Profile
Texture & Mouthfeel Assessment
Reflection is key to mastery. Identify successes to replicate and challenges to troubleshoot in your next bake.
What Went Well? (Select all that apply)
Good oven spring
Excellent crust color
Open crumb structure
Balanced flavor
Proper fermentation timing
Easy to handle dough
Great ear development
Challenges Encountered? (Select all that apply)
Dense or gummy crumb
Over-proofed dough
Under-proofed dough
Poor oven spring
Burnt or too dark crust
Pale or soft crust
Crumb too tight/closed
Uneven holes (tunneling)
Split or burst crust
Sticking to banneton
Would you repeat this exact recipe and process?
What would you change?
Key Takeaways from This Bake
Planned Adjustments for Next Bake
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