30 Sourdough Terms Every Beginner Should Know

Sourdough has its own vocabulary, and recipes can read like a foreign language until you've learned it. Here are the 30 terms that show up most often, in plain language.

Process terms

Autolyse — A rest after mixing flour and water (no salt, no starter) to let flour fully hydrate. Usually 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Levain — A small portion of starter built up specifically for one bake.

Bulk fermentation — The first long rise after mixing, before shaping. Typically 4–6 hours at room temperature.

Stretch and fold — A gentle gluten-development technique done during bulk fermentation. Usually four sets, 30 minutes apart.

Coil fold — A gentler alternative to stretch and fold. The dough is lifted in the middle and allowed to coil under itself.

Lamination — Stretching the dough out flat and folding it over itself. Builds extension quickly.

Pre-shape — A loose round formed before final shaping. Lets the dough relax before final tension.

Bench rest — The 20–30 minute rest between pre-shape and final shape.

Final shape — The tight shape (boule, batard) that builds surface tension.

Cold retard — A slow, refrigerated final proof. Develops flavor and makes scoring easier.

Score / scoring — Cutting the surface of the dough before baking to control where it expands.

Dough terms

Hydration — Water as a percentage of flour weight. 70% hydration = 700g water per 1000g flour.

Baker's percentages — A system where flour is 100% and other ingredients are expressed as a percentage of flour weight.

Crumb — The interior structure of baked bread. "Open crumb" means large, irregular holes.

Ear — The raised, cracked edge on a scored loaf.

Crust — The outer layer of baked bread.

Oven spring — The rapid rise in the first 10 minutes of baking.

Windowpane — A test for gluten development. A piece of dough is stretched thin enough to see light through it.

Slack — A loose, weak dough.

Tight — A dough with strong tension, holds its shape well.

Starter terms

Starter — A live culture of wild yeast and bacteria used to leaven bread.

Mother — Your maintained starter (vs. a levain built from it).

Discard — The portion of starter removed before feeding. Often used in other recipes.

Hooch — The dark liquid that forms on top of an under-fed starter. Harmless; stir in or pour off.

Float test — Drop a small piece of starter in water. If it floats, it's active enough.

Peak — When the starter has risen as much as it will. Best time to use.

Stiff starter — A starter at low hydration (around 50%). Slower fermentation, more sour.

Liquid starter — A starter at high hydration (100%+). Faster fermentation, milder flavor.

Equipment terms

Banneton — A round or oval basket lined with linen for proofing.

Couche — A heavy linen cloth used to support shaped baguettes.

Lame — A holder for a razor blade, used for scoring.

Bench knife — A flat metal blade for cutting and shaping dough.

Why this matters

Once you know these terms, every recipe and forum post becomes easier to read. You'll stop wondering whether "autolyse" is something obscure (it isn't) or whether "windowpane" is mandatory (it isn't always).

Bookmark this page, refer back to it as you read recipes, and within a couple of weeks you'll be using all 30 terms naturally.