9 Sourdough Beginner Mistakes Kneading Attention

Our sourdough baking course in Singapore is probably one of the most exciting classes we offer because everybody just loves those crusty loaves, their irresistible tang, and their beautiful, open crumbs. But why is it that something seemingly so simple—flour, water, salt, and a bit of wild yeast—can be so notoriously tricky for beginners?

Sourdough baking goes beyond simply mixing ingredients. It involves nurturing a living organism (your starter) and understanding a complex interplay of microbiology, chemistry, and physics at every stage. This often makes it a puzzle for many, leading to common sourdough beginner mistakes that can flatten your hopes before your loaf even hits the oven.

But don't fret! We'll delve into the entire baking process, so you can be guided on what the common mistakes are when making sourdough bread and finally bake those beautiful, tangy loaves you've been dreaming of.

Starter Setup Mistakes

1. Starting to Bake Too Soon

It's absolutely thrilling to watch your new sourdough starter bubble with life, but those early signs of activity can be deceiving. Many common sourdough bread mistakes stem from impatience, particularly using a starter before it's truly ready to pull its weight.

While those initial bubbles indicate some microbial activity, it takes time—often around 14 days or more—for a stable, robust population of both wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to establish.

Yeasts are crucial for producing the gas that makes your bread rise. But it's the LAB that produces the acids vital for strengthening gluten, developing that signature sourdough tang, and even improving your bread's keeping qualities. 

Early on, other less desirable microbes might be present, or the beneficial ones simply aren't strong enough. A truly mature, reliable starter will consistently double or triple in size after feeding, possess a pleasantly yeasty aroma, and pass the float test when a small piece is dropped into water.

So, what to do during this crucial waiting period? Don't let that "discard" go to waste. It's perfect for making delicious pancakes, English muffins, or waffles. This way, you're still baking and honing your skills while your sourdough starter patiently gains the strength it needs for that perfect loaf.

2. Using Water at the Wrong Temperature

Water temperature plays a huge role in your starter's activity and dough development.

Water that's too hot can kill the delicate yeasts in your starter, effectively scalding your efforts. Conversely, water that's too cold will slow down microbial activity to a crawl, leading to a sluggish rise. Ideally, your water should be chilled, around 24-28 °C (70 °F) to encourage optimal yeast activity.

Timing and Patience Mistakes

3. Rushing the Sourdough Process

Patience is a virtue in sourdough baking. Sourdough relies on a slow fermentation process, which allows the wild yeasts and bacteria to fully work their magic. This long fermentation develops flavour, improves digestibility, and creates that signature open crumb.

For many bakers, incorporating cold fermentation is a game-changer. Placing your dough in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours or even longer significantly slows down microbial activity. This extended cool rest allows enzymes to break down starches further, leading to even more complex flavours.

Rather than trying to force your dough onto a rigid schedule, a better approach is to plan your bake backwards from when you ideally want fresh bread. This ensures you allocate ample time for both bulk fermentation and cold proofing, letting the dough rise at its own natural pace.

4. Skipping the Autolyse Step

Autolyse involves mixing just the flour and water for your dough and letting it rest for at least 20-60 minutes before adding salt and starter. During this rest, the flour fully hydrates, and enzymes naturally present in flour begin to break down starches and proteins.

This preliminary hydration promotes gluten development without kneading, making your dough more extensible and easier to handle later. It also enhances the dough's ability to absorb water, leading to a more open crumb and better overall texture.

5. Not Developing Gluten Properly

A common reason for dense, flat sourdough loaves is insufficient gluten development. This is a crucial area to address when troubleshooting sourdough mistakes.

One of the ways you can check the dough's gluten content is through the "windowpane test". To perform it, take a small piece of dough and gently stretch it into a thin membrane. If you can stretch it thin enough to see light through it without tearing, your gluten is well-developed. If it tears easily, it needs more work.

While traditional bread often involves vigorous kneading, for sourdough—often referred to as "no-knead" bread—gluten is typically developed through a series of "stretch and folds." These gentle yet effective movements, performed over the first few hours of bulk fermentation, systematically build strength within the dough without resorting to aggressive kneading.

Do note that whole-grain flours, with their sharp bran particles, can present a challenge as the grains can cause the gluten strands to tear more often. To work around this, leave them to ferment longer to achieve optimal development.

Shaping and Baking Mistakes

6. Poor Dough Shaping Technique

You've done all the hard work, don't let poor shaping lead to a flat outcome. Many sourdough mistakes occur at this critical stage, impacting your loaf's final appearance and rise.

If your dough isn't properly shaped with good surface tension, it will spread out on the baking surface rather than holding its form and rising upwards during baking.

The primary goal of shaping is to create a tight, taut "skin" on the outside of your dough. This taut surface provides the essential structural support needed for the dough to expand upwards in a controlled manner during baking, resulting in a beautifully rounded or elongated loaf. While there are various techniques (like batard or boule shaping), they all aim to build that smooth, tight exterior, ensuring your bread holds its shape rather than spreading out.

7. Improper Scoring

Scoring directs where the bread expands most dramatically in the hot oven. Without it, the rapidly expanding crust will burst unpredictably, or worse, restrict expansion altogether, leading to a denser crumb and an undesirable appearance. Proper scoring allows for maximum oven spring (also known as the final glorious rise in the oven) and is the secret to creating a beautiful "ear" on your loaf.

For best results, use a very sharp blade (a bread lame, or razor blade, is ideal) and make a quick, confident cut at an angle. The precise angle should generally be somewhere between 30 and 90 degrees.

8. Underbaking Your Loaf

So, you’ve brought your loaf to the finish line, don't let underbaking ruin all your hard work. An underbaked loaf is often dense, gummy, and disappointing.

The baking process is crucial for converting starches, fully setting the crumb structure, and developing that delicious, crispy crust. Underbaking leaves too much residual moisture within the loaf, resulting in that unpleasant, sticky, or gummy texture that no one wants.

Instead of solely relying on crust colour, the most reliable way to check for perfect doneness is to use an instant-read thermometer and insert it into the very centre of the loaf. It’s important to remember that for most sourdough breads, the temperature should be between 96 °C and 98 °C, or 205 °F and 210 °F.

9. Cutting the Bread Too Soon

This might be the hardest tip to follow because the aroma of fresh sourdough is simply irresistible. As the bread cools, internal moisture redistributes, allowing the crumb to fully set and firm up. Cutting too early releases the trapped steam too quickly.

So, allow your sourdough loaf to cool completely on a wire rack for at least 2 hours (or even longer for larger loaves) before you slice it. If you crave warm bread, cut it after it has fully cooled, and then quickly rewarm the individual slices in a toaster or oven to enjoy that warm, crusty goodness without sacrificing texture.

The Right Sourdough Bread Takes Practice

Embarking on the sourdough journey is incredibly rewarding as a beginner, even with its learning curves. Remember, mistakes are a natural part of the process. Every flat loaf or gummy crumb is a learning opportunity, helping you understand the nuances of this living bread. You don't need to be perfect—you just need to keep practising, adjusting, and embracing the process.

Want hands-on experience and expert guidance to create a perfectly tangy, airy, and unbe-loaf-ably delicious bread? Sign up for our sourdough workshop in Singapore and join our growing community of aspiring bakers today.