This is where you take control of your timing. ⏱️ Retard just means slowing fermentation down on purpose, usually by putting your dough in the fridge. ❄️ Cold doesn’t stop fermentation. It slows it. That gives you more time… and a lot more flexibility. 🌾 It also builds flavor. Slow fermentation deepens everything. 🔪 And practically speaking, it firms up your dough so scoring gets easier and cleaner. If you’ve ever felt rushed trying to bake on a schedule that doesn’t fit your life, this is how you fix that. Shape your dough. Put it in the fridge. Bake when you’re ready. That’s retard.

@Amanda Fannin just walked in the door as our 900th member. She started baking sourdough after getting a copy of my book, Sourdough for the Rest of Us. That right there… that’s the full circle. Amanda, welcome. You picked the right place to start. This isn’t about hype. It’s about learning, doing, and getting better one bake at a time. You’re at the beginning of something that can take you as far as you want to go. And we’ll be right here with you every step of the way. To everyone else… look around. 900 bakers who decided to stop guessing and start improving. That’s what this is. Bakers don’t come here to get likes, they come here to get better. ~ Henry ⭐🔥

This is where most people quit. Not because sourdough is hard… but because the starter feels unpredictable. Moody. Slow. Confusing. This will fix that. Watch this 👇 If you’ve ever said “I tried sourdough and it didn’t work…” Start here. ~ Henry ⭐🔥

Good morning, bakers. This is our home base for today. 🔥 Two versions, same bread, same 80% hydration, no shaping, no scoring, all flavor: 👉 Yeasted with Poolish: pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/rustic-italian-ciabatta 👉 Sourdough with Levain: pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/sourdough-italian-ciabatta (Swap these for the trackable community links from the recipe card share button.) 🧭 How to use this thread: 📸 Post your poolish or levain photo first thing. Show me what you woke up to. 💬 Drop questions in the comments as you go. Mixing, fermentolyse, coil folds, bulk rise, divide and cut, final proof, bake. Every stage. I’ll be in here all day. 🏷️ Tag your photos with the stage so we can all follow along.“Poolish ready,” “Coil fold #2,” “Just divided,” “In the oven,” “Crumb shot.” ⚠️ A few reminders before you start: 👀 Watch the dough, not the clock. 50 to 70% rise on bulk, not doubled. Doubled means overproofed, and ciabatta will go flat on you. 💧 Wet hands and a wet bench scraper are your best friends today. Don’t add flour to a wet dough. Trust it. 🎥 The coil fold video I posted yesterday is pinned. Watch it once before your first fold if you’ve never done one. 🔥 Steam matters. Cast iron skillet of hot water on the bottom rack, or a Brod & Taylor dome — either works. Don’t skip it. 💡 If your bake doesn’t come out picture-perfect, post it anyway. We learn more from honest bakes than from highlight reels. 🚀 Let’s go. Drop your starting photos below. Perfection is not required. Progress is. Henry ⭐🔥

So I did my babka I did blueberry compote with lemon icing drizzle. I haven't tasted it yet but smells delicious. Heres a Pic of before I put in the oven then I did a video it finished and then the cutting reveal. Let me know what you think