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Russell Peace Baker

Sourdough season is nearly here

Published 30 days ago • 2 min read

Sourdough season is nearly here

As summer begins to ease, sourdough season is almost upon us again.

Many of us bake less during the warmer months. The oven stays off, routines change and fermentation can move faster than expected. But cooler days bring the perfect excuse to refresh the starter, bring out the flour and get back into a regular baking rhythm.

Katie and I are now back in France, and baking here is taking some adjustment. I’m using a different oven, the temperature outside is still high and the dough is behaving differently. In some ways, it feels like I’m learning all over again.

It’s a useful reminder that sourdough never happens under fixed conditions. A familiar recipe can behave very differently when the flour, oven, kitchen or weather changes. The process stays the same, but you still have to watch the dough and adapt.

If your starter has been sitting quietly in the fridge, now is a good time to start waking it up.

This might help it along.

Five minute Fridays!

Five Minute Fridays are short, practical videos focused on one part of the sourdough process. No long introductions or unnecessary detail. Just five minutes spent answering a useful baking question.

I’d also like you to help choose what I cover next.

Is there something you find confusing? A technique you would like to see demonstrated? Or a problem that keeps appearing in your bakes?

​Send me your video request and it could become a future Five Minute Friday.​

More sourdough videos on YouTube

You’ll find longer tutorials, baking experiments and step-by-step demonstrations on my YouTube channel.

If you haven’t already subscribed, please do. Subscribing means you’ll see new videos as they’re released, and it also helps more home bakers find the channel.

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A new FREE bulk fermentation guide is coming

Bulk fermentation is one of the most difficult parts of sourdough to judge. There is no single time, rise percentage or visual clue that works for every dough.

My new downloadable guide will help you understand what to look for, how flour and temperature affect the process and how to decide when your dough is ready for shaping.

It’s coming soon, so keep an eye on social media.

Fact of the Week

A 50% rise does not mean your dough has doubled.

If your dough starts at 8cm and rises to 12cm, it has increased by 4cm. That is 50% of its original height.

Doubling would be a 100% rise.

It sounds simple, but understanding the difference can make bulk fermentation much easier to measure.

Until next time, happy baking!

Whether you’re returning to sourdough after a summer break or you’ve been baking throughout, I hope there’s something here to help with your next loaf. Katie and I are settling back into life in France, and I’ll keep sharing what I learn as I get used to a new oven, a warmer kitchen and dough that likes to keep me guessing.

As always, thank you for following along and being part of this wonderful baking community.

Russell

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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Russell Peace Baker

I share practical, no-nonsense sourdough guidance for home bakers including starters, fermentation, flour, and fixing common problems. Expect clear explanations, real experiments, and tools you can actually use.

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