In this lesson, you’ll get familiar with the key baking terms used throughout the course. You’ll learn what words like hydration, fermentation, and scoring really mean — so you can follow each step with confidence and clarity.

Baker’s percentage is the key to understanding and controlling your dough. Here you’ll learn how to calculate and adjust ingredient ratios, so you can confidently scale recipes and fine-tune hydration for perfect sourdough results.

Before you start baking, I’ll walk you through the essential tools you need for sourdough success. You’ll learn how each item — from scale to Dutch oven — impacts your bread and how to make smart substitutions with what you already have at home.

Here you’ll find the complete Simply Sourdough Bread eBook, the MOBILE VERSION- ready for download. It includes every step, tip, and formula from the course — perfect to keep open beside you while you bake or for quick reference anytime.
This is the full eBook, designed especially for those who prefer reading over watching videos or who want to review specific topics at their own pace.
I put a lot of thought into writing and designing it so it’s clear, practical, and accessible for every baker — beginner or intermediate.

Here you’ll find the complete Simply Sourdough Bread eBook, the MOBILE VERSION- ready for download. It includes every step, tip, and formula from the course — perfect to keep open beside you while you bake or for quick reference anytime.
This is the full eBook, designed especially for those who prefer reading over watching videos or who want to review specific topics at their own pace.
I put a lot of thought into writing and designing it so it’s clear, practical, and accessible for every baker — beginner or intermediate.

In this lesson, you’ll learn what sourdough really is — a living culture of wild yeast and bacteria that gives bread its flavor, texture, and character. You’ll understand how it differs from commercial yeast and why it’s the foundation of every great loaf.

Here you’ll learn how to create your own sourdough starter from scratch using just flour and water. I’ll guide you through each day of the process — what to look for, how it should smell and feel, and how to know when it’s strong and ready to bake.

Here you’ll learn how to keep your starter healthy and predictable through proper feeding ratios and timing. I’ll show you how to adjust for room temperature, flour type, and baking frequency — so your starter stays strong, balanced, and always ready to bake.

A weak or overripe starter can seriously affect your final loaf — making it too sour or flat. That’s why it’s so important to recognize each stage your starter goes through. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to spot when it’s at its peak and when it’s gone past, so you can bake at the perfect moment every time.

In this introduction, I’ll give you a clear overview of what’s ahead — the stages of the sourdough process, how the lessons connect, and what to prepare before you start. You’ll know exactly how to approach the course and get the best results from your bakes.

This lesson is here to help you make sense of the whole process. By seeing the full recipe and order of steps in advance, everything that follows will click into place — you’ll know where you’re headed and why each stage matters.

In this lesson, you’ll learn what autolyse really does and why it’s one of the most powerful steps in sourdough baking. You’ll see how simply mixing flour and water — and giving it time — builds strength, elasticity, and incredible flavor in your dough.

In this lesson, I show you how to mix your dough using a stand mixer and explain the fermentolyse method — where the starter joins right from the start. Of course, you can also do fermentolyse with hand kneading; the principles stay exactly the same.

During this stage, you’ll see how the dough transforms as it ferments and gains strength. I’ll guide you through the folding technique, how often to do it, and how to tell when your dough has developed enough for the next step.

Pre-shaping is where your dough starts to take form and relaxes slightly before the final shaping. This step organizes the gluten, evens the internal structure, and prepares the dough for its final shape. You’ll see how to handle it gently, keeping air inside while creating just the right surface tension for a strong, open crumb later on.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to give your dough its final shape with confidence and control. I’ll show you how to build tension on the surface, seal the seams, and create a strong structure that supports great oven spring and an open, even crumb.

Here you’ll learn how to proof your shaped dough to perfection — not too short and not too long. I’ll show you how to recognize when it’s ready for the oven, how to use the poke test, and how temperature and time shape the final flavor and texture.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to bake your sourdough for maximum oven spring, crust, and flavor. I’ll explain how steam works, why scoring matters, and how to control heat and timing so you can get consistent, bakery-quality results every time.

Here I’ll show you how to bake sourdough in a Dutch oven — the simplest and most reliable way to get that perfect crust and open crumb. You’ll learn how to preheat, load, and steam properly for consistent, professional-looking loaves.

Baking on a steel or stone opens up a different way to get that bakery-style crust. I’ll show you how to set up your oven, create the right amount of steam, and manage heat for loaves that rise beautifully and bake evenly every time.

Once your loaf is out of the oven, the learning doesn’t stop. In this lesson, you’ll discover what your bread can tell you — from crust color to crumb texture — and how to read those signs to keep improving with every bake.

In this final section, I’ll wrap everything up and give you a few extra tools to keep improving your sourdough baking. You’ll find helpful summaries, bonus lessons, and practical schedules to make your baking smoother and more flexible.

In this lesson, you’ll get to know your flour on a deeper level — how protein, gluten, and bran affect dough strength, fermentation, and flavor. You’ll learn how to choose the right flour for your bread and how to adapt recipes to what you have at home.

Here you’ll find a simple, time-efficient schedule for same-day baking. It’s laid out clearly so you can plan your day, follow the timing easily, and enjoy a fresh loaf just hours after mixing your dough.

Here I’m sharing an alternative schedule to the “same-day baking” one. In this version, most of the process happens on the first day, then the shaped dough rests overnight in the fridge for its final proof — so you can bake it fresh and relaxed the next morning.

In this lesson, you’ll understand what hydration really means and how it shapes your dough’s texture, flavor, and crumb. I’ll show you how to adjust water levels with confidence so you can control stickiness, strength, and openness in every bake.

This final video is a chance to share a bit about my journey and what inspired me to create this course. I hope everything connected for you and helped you step into the world of sourdough with confidence and curiosity. Take what you’ve learned, keep experimenting, and most of all — enjoy the process and every loaf that comes out of your oven.