“Activation” describes the process of creating a lively and strong sourdough starter by refreshing an inactive starter or activating a dehydrated starter.

“Autolyse” describes the resting period after the sourdough starter, flour, and some or all of the water in a recipe is combined (around 30 mins) and before adding salt. During this time, gluten bonds begin forming and the dough will take on a smoother texture and get stronger. The enzymes produced during this phase break starches down into simple sugars which feed the yeast in the sourdough starter.

A banneton, also called a “proofing basket” is a simple but important tool in baking sourdough bread. This basket will help shape and support your dough. They come in different shapes and sizes, (here’s my favorite round banneton and oval banneton). Without a banneton the dough will spread out too much during proofing stages and will hinder your oven spring, making the loaf flat.

A batard is an oval shaped loaf of bread.

A “bench rest” is the time right after your dough has been pre-shaped up until the time when the dough is actually shaped. The dough relaxes and spreads - this time is important! If you tried to shape your dough immediately after preshaping, it would be too tight and strong, likely tearing.

A bench scraper is a dull, flat, rectangular piece of steel with a handle on one side along the edge. It is a useful tool used in baking to easily pick up, divide, and transfer dough from one place to another (my fav bench scraper).

A boule is a round shaped loaf of bread.

A bow knife is a bread knife suited especially for cutting sourdough. It makes cutting your hard crusted artisan loaves a breeze! (Here’s my fav bow knife).

Sourdough Brioche is an enriched sourdough bread containing eggs, butter, and milk. It is a lighter and richer tasting bread, closer in texture to a pastry.

Bulk fermentation (also primary or 1st rise) is one of the most important steps of sourdough bread making. It begins right when your mixing/folding ends and lasts until the dough is divided and pre-shaped. It means fermenting the dough in one large single mass. This fermentation usually takes place at room temperature and is usually a longer period of time (anywhere between 3-12 hours).

Cold proofing (also known as retarding) is when the shaped dough is placed in the fridge, usually overnight. The dough will proof for many hours at a cold temp. The cold dough typically goes directly into the hot oven from the fridge.

“Crumb” refers to the texture of the inside of the loaf of sourdough. The crumb is often gauged by the size of the holes produced by the carbon dioxide or moisture of the loaf.

A bread dough whisk provides an easier stirring process compared to a wooden spoon. The Danish whisk also helps to aerate high moisture doughs like sourdough (my fav danish whisk).

Sourdough “discard” refers to a portion of your starter that is discarded before feeding what’s left in the jar. This is the starter that has doubled in size and then has fallen and is no longer active enough to make the dough rise. “Discard” does not have to be thrown away. Store your discard in a separate jar in the fridge and use in many sourdough discard recipes such as pancakes, crackers, brownies, banana bread and many more!

Weck jars are perfect for sourdough starter & discard, as well as these Sourhouse quart jars. You can also use regular glas mason jars!

“Dough” is the combination of sourdough starter, water, flour, and salt that is stiff enough to be worked by hand.

A Dutch oven is a heavy, wide, and typically shallow pot with a tight-fitting lid. They are made from cast iron, which evenly distributes heat around the entire dish. The Dutch oven can be used for many different cooking purposes but is ideal for baking sourdough bread. It can withstand high heat and distribute it evenly while keeping in humidity with the tight lid during the baking process.

I use a similar Dutch oven to this one that is enamel lined for easy cleanup. The ultimate pan for baking artisan bread is the Challenger Bread Pan, which as designed specifically for bread makers.

When you shape your dough with sufficient tension you create a tight surface on the outside of your dough. “Ears” occur when dough is baked with a deep score and proper tension so that the loaf splits along the score line and produces a ridge along the edge of the score mark.

Ears are mostly for aesthetic purposes and are not a necessity. They can indicate the baker’s skill in successfully implementing each step of the artisan loaf baking process. An ear that is just right indicates the loaf is perfectly fermented, shaped, and scored.

The elasticity of dough simply means its ability to return to and hold its original shape after a fermentation period.

A sourdough starter must be “fed” with flour and water to maintain activity to make your bread rise when used in a recipe. This is done daily if you keep your starter at room temperature or once a week if kept in the fridge.

A “float test” uses a small blob of your starter dropped in lukewarm water to indicate if your starter is active and ready to use. If the starter floats it means your starter is active, if it sinks your starter is either not fermented enough or over-fermented.

The main ingredient in bread that comes from ground grain. Flour choice is very important in making sourdough bread. Most sourdough recipes use bread flour that is unbleached and can also include freshly milled whole wheat flour.

King Arthur, Gold Medal, Bob’s Red Mill, or even Food Club brand unbleached bread flour is great for most sourdough recipes.

Gluten is a combination of two proteins found in grains: glutenin & gliadin. When water is added to flour to make dough, gluten is formed as a web of interlocking strands of these two proteins. Gluten gives breads their elasticity and expands, trapping gases that are produced during fermentation that make the bread rise.

A gram is a unit of weight measurement often used in sourdough baking. Use a sensitive kitchen scale for accurate ingredient measurements.

Green flour is freshly-milled wheat that has not aged. This flour is typically used within 48 hours to retain maximum nutrition.

A layer of liquid that collects on the top of a sourdough starter when it hasn’t been fed for a long period of time. It simply means your starter is hungry. Hooch is a mix of water and the alcohol that formed during fermentation. It can be poured off just before a feeding or stirred in for a more sour tasting starter.

Hydration is the ratio of water to flour in a bread recipe and is measured in percentage. It is calculated by dividing the total amount of water by total amount of flour. In general, sourdough bread has hydration levels of 65-100% depending on the flour used. The higher the hydration level, the more open the crumb texture and thinner/crispier the crust will be.

The process of kneading involves manipulating the dough to encourage gluten development.

“Lactic Acid” is the bacteria present because of fermentation along with the wild yeast in sourdough, which produces the familiar sour flavor.

A bread lame is a knife for scoring bread dough and can be used to create intricate patterns and designs.

Here’s a round bread lame and a straight handle bread lame.

Process of stretching the dough out flat before folding it up again to create layers and strength in the dough. This is generally the step to add extra ingredients to your loaf such as cheese, bacon, peppers, chocolate chips, or raisins.

Both “Leaven” (English) and “Levain” (French) are a bread starter made from a sourdough culture. It is different from your original sourdough “starter” as it is freshly fed with flour and water and will be used in a recipe and eventually baked. “Leavened” bread simply means bread using a sourdough culture as the source of naturally occurring yeast. Leaven/Levain is the freshly fed and active starter that you add to your recipe. Grab a sourdough starter in the shop >

“Mother” refers to the part of your starter that is continually fed with water and flour, not used in baking.

“Oven spring” simply refers to the growth of the bread during its baking phase, where the loaf is growing and before hardening.

A technique done during the final proofing phase of the bread making process. A “poke test” is done by gently pressing your finger into the dough on the top of the loaf. If the dough springs back quickly it’s underproofed. If it does not spring back at all it is overproofed. If it springs back slowly it’s properly proofed and ready to bake.

Preshaping is the step where you loosely gather up each piece of dough into a form that is close to its final baking shape. Simply put, it’s the step right before you shape your dough. This step adds strength to your dough, creating a tighter, more uniform surface to work with when shaping.

“Proofing” bread dough is the step after shaping your dough before it is baked. The dough continues to ferment and increase in volume and acts as a final rise before baking. Performing a “poke test” will help to know if your dough is adequately proofed.

“Scoring” is the process of slashing or cutting your dough with a sharp blade or scissors just before baking. This step can be simple or intricate in design and is useful in venting the steam and gases released during the baking process.

A bread lame is very useful in this step (here is a round lame, and a straight handled lame).

“Shaping” refers to the final shaping step, taking the pre-shaped dough and manipulating it into the desired loaf shape.

This is an essential step to build height, structure, and surface tension to help your loaf rise properly when baked.

“Sour” describes the taste of sourdough bread. A fermentation process of naturally occurring yeast and the formation of lactic and acetic acid contributes to the sour taste.

A culture made from flour and water that naturally collects yeast and bacteria. See also “Leaven/Levain”

Folding involves pulling sections of the dough over the main mass of dough one at time, stretching each to the point of resistance and then folding back over the top of the dough.

“Tangzhong” is a Japanese baking technique that involves pre-cooking a portion of the recipe’s flour & liquid, causing it to thicken. When this method is used, the bread will tend to remain soft and extend the shelf life.

Hard wheats are high in protein (approx. 12-15%) and produce flours used in recipes which require more strength, such as breads, buns, or rolls.

Soft wheats are lower in protein (approx. 8-10%) and produce flours that are more delicate and used in recipes such as cookies, cakes, and pastries.

Wild yeast is a naturally occurring yeast that resides in the air, soil, vegetation, and especially carbohydrate-rich environments. Regarding sourdough, wild yeast is captured and then grown as a starter to create baked goods.

Yeasts are small single-celled organisms that feed on simple sugars, breaking down into carbon dioxide and alcohol referred to as fermentation. This process of carbon dioxide releasing makes bread dough rise.