Bulk fermentation is the single most important step in sourdough baking, and it's the one most bakers get wrong. Not because they're bad bakers, but because they're relying on the clock instead of the dough. The Fermentation Compass changes that. This interactive tool tracks nine observable signals from your dough and combines them into one clear verdict: underproofed, getting close, in the zone, pushing it, or overproofed. No guesswork. No Googling. Just real answers based on what your dough is actually doing right now. Here's what it does: - Scores 9 criteria in real time: temperature, time, percent rise, dome shape, surface bubbles, side bubbles, wobble test, windowpane test, and smell - Adjusts all target ranges based on YOUR recipe (hydration, leaven percentage, flour type) so the readings are calibrated to the dough you're actually making - Displays a composite Fermentation Compass that averages every signal into a single visual readout - Color-coded status badges on each criterion so you can see at a glance which signs point to under, ready, or over - Built-in "Why this matters" teaching notes on every criterion, written to help you understand the science behind the signal - Bake Timeline that logs each check with a timestamp and 9 colored dots, giving you a full visual record of your dough's journey from mix to shape - Saves your readings automatically so you can refresh the page mid-bake without losing anything The goal isn't to make you dependent on a tool. It's to train your eye, your hands, and your nose so that eventually you don't need one.

This week's bake-along is Babka, and before we even get to the recipe, we need to settle something. Chocolate or Cinnamon? Drop your answer below. No wrong answers. Just strong ones. (And yes, there will be a savory option for the rebels in the room.) Pick your path now so you're ready by Friday. Path A: Sourdough Chocolate Babka Path B: Holiday Chocolate Babka (yeasted) Path C: Roasted Garlic and Gruyère All are in the Recipe Pantry. But don't rely solely on me. Do your homework. See what's out there that might interest you beyond what I'm supplying. Let's have a conversation Bring what you find interesting and we'll talk about it. The full bake-along drops tomorrow. Get your loaf pans ready. Henry ⭐🔥

@Buddy Tatum said he was going to quit if he didn't improve. He came back Monday with a side-by-side showing dramatic improvement on his 2nd loaf. Buddy, I think you'll be around a while

Not just in your starter. In your dough. In your bulk fermentation. In every rest between folds. Here's the rule: every 10 degrees Fahrenheit difference roughly doubles or halves how fast fermentation moves. A 65-degree kitchen is a completely different environment than a 75-degree kitchen. And most home bakers are timing their folds and their bulk based on a recipe written in someone else's kitchen. Stop watching the clock. Start watching the dough. For the Foolproof Loaf this week: by the end of your third coil fold, the dough should feel noticeably stronger, hold its shape when lifted, and look slightly puffier than when you started. That's your signal to move on. Not a timer. What temperature is your kitchen right now? Drop it below and tell me how your bulk is going. — Henry ⭐🔥

We're midweek in the Road to Sourdough and I want to check in with everyone. If you started a starter this week — how's it looking? Drop a photo below, even if it's not doing much yet. Especially if it's not doing much yet. That's where the learning happens. If you've been following the Scoring Series — which lesson clicked for you so far? Lesson 6 on boule and batard scoring? The 7-Minute Re-Score? And if you haven't jumped in yet — today is a great day to start. No prerequisites. No perfect timing. Just you and some flour. Reminder: the Wire Monkey giveaway runs through Sunday. Post a photo of your scored loaf and you're entered to win two bread lames. Let's hear from you. What's on your bench today?