Top 5 Mistakes New Sourdough Bakers Make (and How to Avoid Them)

Avoid these beginner pitfalls and start baking better sourdough today.

If you’re just getting into sourdough, first of all — welcome. You’re about to fall in love with wild yeast, gooey dough hands, and that unmistakable tang. But before you deep-dive into scoring loaves and chasing Instagram crumb shots, here are five of the most common mistakes new sourdough bakers make — and how to avoid them.

1. Inconsistent Feeding of Your Sourdough Starter

A healthy starter is the foundation of great sourdough bread. Many beginners feed their starter irregularly, which leads to weak fermentation and poor rise.

What to do instead:
Feed your starter on a schedule — every 24 hours at room temperature — using a 1:1:1 ratio of starter, flour, and water (by weight). Consistency builds strength.

2. Using a Sourdough Starter Before It's Ready

Don’t rush the process. A starter needs at least 7–14 days of regular feeding to build strength. If it doesn’t double in size within 4–6 hours of feeding, it’s not ready for baking.

How to tell it’s ready:
Look for bubbles, a tangy (not funky) smell, and a rise that doubles predictably. Want to learn more? Read our guide on sourdough starter basics.

3. Underproofing or Overproofing the Dough

Timing is everything. New bakers often cut bulk fermentation short or leave dough too long, causing flat or overextended loaves.

Best practice:
Use the “poke test” — if the dough slowly springs back when poked, it’s ready. Watch for smooth, jiggly dough with visible air bubbles.

4. Skipping the Autolyse Step

The autolyse (mixing just flour and water and letting it rest) improves gluten structure and dough extensibility. Skipping this makes kneading harder and crumb denser.

What to do:
After mixing flour and water, let it rest 30–45 minutes before adding your starter and salt.

5. Using Too Much Flour While Shaping

Sticky dough is normal — but over-flouring makes shaping harder and ruins your crumb. Heavy flour creates dry patches and prevents oven spring.

Try this instead:
Use damp hands, a bench scraper, or just a light dusting of flour to manage stickiness without drying out the dough.

Final Thoughts on Sourdough Mistakes

Mistakes are part of becoming a confident sourdough baker. Whether it’s feeding your starter or understanding fermentation, learning these fundamentals early will make your sourdough journey smoother and your bread tastier.

🥖 Want more help? Check out our Read our guide on sourdough starter basics.