Guides

Bulk and proofing guides

Most of a sourdough loaf is decided before it meets the oven. Start with how to tell underproofed from overproofed and how long to bulk ferment, then go deep on the rise, temperature and the poke test.

New here? Start with two guides. Underproofed vs Overproofed Sourdough: How to Tell reads the finished loaf back to the fermentation that made it. How Long to Bulk Ferment Sourdough works forward: what the dough should look like when bulk is done, and why the clock on the recipe rarely matches your kitchen.

The short version: temperature sets the pace, so read the dough, not the clock. Bulk is usually done when the dough has grown roughly 50 to 75 percent, has domed edges and bubbles, and jiggles when you shake the bowl. The poke test belongs to the final proof, not bulk. And if you are unsure which way to adjust, most home bakers underproof far more often than they overproof.