What do you do when your dough doesn't rise? Yesterday's dough didn't rise. After the stretch & folds, I left it on the counter for 24 hours. My starter sat beside it and tripled in 7 hours. The dough had good gluten structure, but remained like a thick batter, unable to hold it's shape, with no rise. I wasn't sure what to do, but didn't want to waste it. So, I heavily oiled a cast iron pan, poured in the dough, more oil, herbs, salt, pepper, and baked. It's cooling now, but looks good. Had some rise in the oven, but not what one would expect from a regular bread.

Happy Monday Bakers! As you look at your week, here’s a little reminder: you don’t have to learn everything about bread before you make your next loaf. You don’t need to try a new recipe just because you’ve made the same bread three times. And if it’s been a while since you baked, you don’t have to “catch up.” You can simply begin again. This week, let’s focus on one manageable step: 🍞 Choose a bread your family will enjoy. 📅 Find a baking window that fits your actual week. 💬 Ask that question you’ve been sitting on. Maybe you’re working toward your first loaf. Maybe you’re making sandwich bread again because everyone ate the last one ... or maybe we are making two loaves this week. What’s your one bread-making step this week? Tell us below—and if you’re stuck, tell us where. You don’t have to figure it out alone

“I meant to bake bread this week.” If you’ve said that more than once, don’t let another week slip by waiting for the perfect day. You don’t need a wide-open calendar. You need to find where baking fits into the week you already have. Join me tonight at 6 PM Central for our Sunday Set Up Call on zoom. Bring your busy schedule, your questions, and the bread you’ve been wanting to make. We’ll talk through what to bake, when to start, and how to fit the steps around your life. You don’t have to figure it out alone or before you come. Let’s turn “I meant to bake” into “I made bread this week.”

Ask your questions here about your starter, dough, any course bread, or something you’d like to understand better. Join us live on Zoom Wednesdays at 11 AM Central. The link is in the calendar for Premium members. Can’t attend? Post your question anyway—we’ll answer it on the call, and you can watch the replay. New here? Start in the Classroom. - Free members: “Your First Loaf, The Simple Way” → “Lesson 1: Start HERE: Your First 7-10 Days.” - Premium members: “Find Your Bread Rhythm.” You don’t need to know everything before you begin or figure it out alone. Use this template to get clearer help: I’m making the sourdough / yeast version of ______ . I mixed at ________ . My dough is (on the counter, refrigerated, or shaped and proofing). I’m noticing ________. My question is _________ . Photo (optional). For starter questions, tell us when and how you last fed it and what you’re noticing. Photos help, too. Bring planning questions: bread choices, baking windows, and fitting baking into your week to Sunday Set Up. Bring starter, dough, shaping, and baking questions to the midweek Coaching Call. Start with a schedule. Notice your dough. Ask when you need help. Use what you learn for the next bake.

We’ve spent five days finding a reason, releasing a “have to,” making a little space, choosing a bread, and deciding on a next step. I’d love to hear how it went for you. - What helped you most? - Was anything unclear, missing, or tricky to follow? - What’s your next bread step? Share a quick thought or takeaway in the comments—even a sentence helps me make this experience more useful. Thank you for making room to try with me!