Sourdough baking is both an art and a science, demanding patience, intuition, and knowledge of fermentation, hydration, and baking techniques. It’s an incredibly rewarding process, but it can also be frustrating, confusing, and unpredictable.
Maybe you’re trying to figure out why your sourdough starter isn’t bubbling, why your dough feels too wet and unmanageable, or why your bread is dense and heavy instead of airy and light. Perhaps your loaf spreads too much during proofing, your crust is coming out too thick and hard, or your bread lacks that deep, tangy flavor you expected. Maybe you’ve asked yourself, “why won’t my sourdough rise?”, “how do I fix an overproofed loaf?”, or “what’s the best feeding schedule for my starter?”
We know the struggle. Sourdough doesn’t always follow a formula. It’s affected by temperature, humidity, altitude, flour and water quality, fermentation timing, and countless other variables. And sometimes, no amount of Googling, watching YouTube videos, or reading sourdough forums will give you an answer that applies to your unique personalized situational semantics.
That’s why we created Sourdough Concierge by The Sourdough People—the first-ever global service dedicated to answering any and all sourdough-related questions. We connect you directly with real, experienced sourdough bakers who understand the complexities of fermentation, gluten development, shaping, proofing, and baking techniques. Every question you ask gets a detailed, customized response within 48 hours (soon improving to 24 hours as we grow), providing you with step-by-step guidance, expert troubleshooting, and practical solutions tailored to your exact sourdough situation.
No AI, no bots, no generic troubleshooting lists—just real help from highly seasoned bakers who have years of hands-on experience. No matter where you are in the world, no matter what language you speak, and no matter how big or small your question is, Sourdough Concierge is here to help.
Sourdough Help for Everyone—Any Question, Any Problem, Any Time
There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution when it comes to sourdough. The process depends on so many factors—ambient temperature, humidity, hydration level, flour type, fermentation time, feeding schedule, and even the natural wild yeasts in your environment. That’s why Sourdough Concierge is designed to offer real, personalized solutions to your specific sourdough challenges.
You can ask anything—whether it’s about starter maintenance, dough hydration, bulk fermentation, shaping techniques, oven baking conditions, ingredient substitutions, flavor enhancement, or troubleshooting a major issue.
Sourdough Troubleshooting
- Why is my sourdough starter not rising, bubbling, or showing activity?
- How do I fix an underproofed or overproofed dough?
- Why is my bread too dense, gummy, heavy, or lacking oven spring?
- What’s the secret to getting a beautiful open crumb with large, airy holes?
- My dough keeps spreading out instead of holding its shape—what’s wrong?
- My sourdough tastes flat—how do I make it more tangy and flavorful?
Sourdough Starter Questions
- Is my sourdough starter dead? Can I still revive it?
- Why does my starter separate, with liquid (hooch) forming on top?
- My starter smells like alcohol, vinegar, or nail polish remover—what does that mean?
- How do I switch my starter from all-purpose flour to whole wheat, rye, or another grain?
- What’s the best feeding ratio and schedule for my sourdough starter?
- How do I make my starter stronger and more active?
- Can I make a gluten-free sourdough starter?
- My starter had mold—can I save it, or is it ruined?
Dough Troubleshooting & Handling Issues
- Why is my dough too sticky, wet, or hard to handle?
- How do I fix a dough that keeps tearing or breaking apart?
- Why is my dough too dry, stiff, or resistant to stretching?
- My dough isn’t developing gluten—how do I strengthen it?
- Should I use autolyse, stretch and folds, or kneading?
- Why does my dough keep spreading instead of holding its shape?
- How do I properly handle high-hydration dough?
- My dough is too stiff and resists stretching—what’s wrong?
Bulk Fermentation & Proofing Troubleshooting
- How do I know if my dough is underproofed or overproofed?
- My dough is rising too slowly—how do I speed up fermentation?
- My dough is fermenting too fast—how do I slow it down?
- How do I adjust fermentation time for different temperatures?
- My dough rose well in bulk fermentation but deflated—what happened?
- How do I do cold fermentation in the fridge overnight?
- My dough overproofed in the fridge—can I save it?
- How do I fix a dough that’s collapsed or spread too much?
Shaping & Scoring Problems
- How do I get my dough to hold its shape before baking?
- Why does my bread collapse after scoring?
- How deep should I score my sourdough?
- How do I get a beautiful ear or decorative scoring patterns?
Oven Spring & Baking Issues
- Why is my sourdough coming out flat with no oven spring?
- Why does my bread have huge holes in some areas but dense in others?
- Why is my crust too thick, too tough, or too hard to cut?
- How do I get a thin, crispy crust with perfect caramelization?
- My sourdough is baking too pale—why isn’t my crust caramelizing?
- My bread burned on the outside but is raw inside—what went wrong?
- How do I know if my bread is fully baked?
- Should I bake in a Dutch oven, on a baking stone, or another method?
Flour, Hydration & Ingredient Questions
- Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
- What’s the difference between baking with rye, whole wheat, spelt, and einkorn?
- How does hydration affect dough handling, shaping, and baking?
- Can I make sourdough with alternative flours (gluten-free, ancient grains, etc.)?
Storage, Long-Term Care & Preserving Sourdough
- How do I store my sourdough starter long-term in the fridge or freezer?
- How do I prevent my baked sourdough from going stale too quickly?
- Can I freeze sourdough dough before baking?
Sourdough Baking in Different Climates & Conditions
- How do I adjust sourdough baking for cold, dry, hot, or humid weather?
- How do I bake sourdough at high altitude?
How Sourdough Concierge Works
✔️ Submit Your Question – Whether you need quick advice or deep troubleshooting, we’re here to help.
✔️ A Real Baker Responds – An expert will personally review your question and provide a customized answer based on experience.
✔️ Receive Your Answer Within 48 Hours – Soon improving to 24 hours as we grow!
✔️ Get Additional Learning Resources – We’ll also provide helpful links to guides and videos to continue learning.
Your Sourdough Questions, Answered by Real Bakers
No matter where you are on your sourdough journey, Sourdough Concierge is here to help you bake better bread with confidence.
Send your sourdough question to questions@sourdoughbread.ca, and get expert guidance, troubleshooting, and step-by-step solutions from experienced bakers.
Note: This email address is different from our main contact email for The Sourdough People and is exclusively for personal sourdough troubleshooting and questions. Send as many questions or troubleshooting needs as you may have, we are here to help you.
Let’s bake better, together! 🍞🔥
