Expert tips from an expert chef.
Molly Baz Wants to Make Sure Your Next Sourdough Loaf Isn’t ‘Flat as a Pancake’
Published on May 09, 2025
Molly Baz is a source of pure joy on my Instagram feed. The cook, recipe developer and New York Times-bestselling cookbook author first came into my life via the Bon Appétit YouTube channel. She’s since moved on from BA and is now doing her own thing: publishing cookbooks, hosting a podcast and teaching us how to make sourdough.
She’s also developed a brand-new recipe to celebrate her foray into the world of sourdough baking. It’s Sourdough Garlic Butter Bread, and yes, I’m drooling.
I had a chance to catch up with Molly and chat all things sourdough. I’ll admit that I have always been too intimidated to try to make my own loaf! But after our conversation, I feel ready to tackle this task head-on.
How did Molly get into baking sourdough?
“The first loaf I ever made was dismal. Flat as a pancake. But you know what? It still tasted good,” Molly said. “The first few loaves were learning experiences.” It’s helpful to know that even someone as accomplished as Molly—the author of two NYT-bestselling cookbooks—also struggles with overcoming sourdough mountain.
For the uninitiated, baking sourdough is more complicated than a standard homemade loaf of bread. Sourdough requires a “starter,” which is a mixture of flour and water that ferments and gives loaves that uniquely tangy, utterly delicious taste. “A friend gifted me a bit of her very old and storied sourdough starter. It sort of spun out from there, and the next thing I knew, I was proofing multiple breads on the daily in my home kitchen,” says Molly.
What are Molly’s tips for making perfect sourdough bread?
Aside from having the correct bread-making tools, here are some techniques straight from Molly to improve the outcome of your loaves:
- Always bake with an active starter: Your starter should double in size within 6 to 8 hours after feeding, or it won’t be strong enough to produce lofty loaves. Using starter that is very much alive will ensure tender, well-risen bread.
- Refrigerate your dough for stronger flavor: You can opt for a longer fermentation, transferring your dough to the refrigerator and baking the next day. The best time to stop and chill your dough is after shaping your loaf. The next day, pick up where you left off, letting the dough sit on the counter for an hour or two before proceeding.
- A good ratio for feeding your sourdough starter is 1:1:1: That is, equal parts flour, water and starter. You can perform small feedings of your starter (about 30 grams of each element) when you’re not baking to keep your starter “at the ready.”
- Don’t forget about the windowpane test: This is the best way to tell whether or not dough has had a sufficient number of folds and stretches. To do this, flatten a small piece of dough between your fingers. Gently pull on opposite ends to stretch out the middle. Dough that doesn’t tear easily—and appears as translucent as a windowpane—indicates strong gluten formation.
- Keep things tense: Create surface tension while shaping the dough so your bread will have the right structure, crumb and rise. You can achieve this by using less flour while shaping—too much flour will encourage the dough to slide around. Less flour means that you’ll have some friction on the work surface to help pull the dough taut.
- Cover dough to proof: Molly uses Stasher’s Stretch Lids, which are reusable silicone lids that stretch to cover any size bowl. Instead of trying to wrestle with plastic wrap while your hands are full of flour, just pop one of these on, and poof! You’re on your way to prooftown.
I asked Molly if she had any more advice for me before I get started on my sourdough journey. “Take the pressure off!” she said. “Your first loaf isn’t going to be perfect, and that’s completely fine.”
It’s almost like she knew that I’m a recovering perfectionist. Well, with Molly Baz’s blessing, I’m certainly feeling more inspired to dive into the world of sourdough!
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