A lot of you came from Facebook. I run Baking Great Bread at Home over there, 40,000+ members, and I love that community. But I want to be honest about something. On Facebook, you often get one of two things: criticism without substance or compliments without critique. Someone posts a loaf and the comments are either "Beautiful!" when there's clearly something going on, or unhelpful jabs that don't teach you anything. People mean well. They're trying to be kind. But kindness without honesty doesn't make you a better baker. This is a different place. Crust & Crumb Academy is exactly that: an academy. This is where you come to hone your skills and get better. That means when you ask for feedback, you're going to get it. Real feedback. Specific feedback. The kind that actually helps you improve. I'll always be kind. I'll always be encouraging. But you're not going to get empty platitudes from me. If I see something in your crumb, your shaping, your scoring, I'm going to tell you what it is and how to fix it. That's what coaches do. And I want you to do the same for each other. When someone posts a bake and asks for critique, give them something useful. Tell them what you see. Ask questions. Share what's worked for you. That's how we all get better. This is a teaching environment. We're not here to collect compliments. We're here to make better bakers. Perfection is not required. But growth is the goal. Let's get to work. ~Henry

Has anyone ever ordered the 50 pound bag off of Amazon? KA Bread Flour?

They've had bread that was left too long, with too much acid, by someone who didn't know which dial to turn. Sourness is not a personality trait of sourdough. It's the result of decisions made during fermentation. Change the decisions, change the flavor. In this lesson from the Road to Sourdough series, you'll learn: → Why wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria produce completely different flavors → The Mild Window vs. the Sour Window — and how timing puts you in control → The 4 dials that determine your bread's flavor profile → The Mild Loaf Protocol: the exact settings for a clean, wheaty, approachable sourdough → Why the flavor is decided in the jar before the dough even exists This is the lesson that changes how you think about sourdough permanently.

I double the ingredients, for two loaves? I hope I didn’t bite more than I can chew. TY