Sourdough Sorcery
Sourdough Sorcery is a podcast for home bakers, bread lovers, and curious cooks who want to turn simple ingredients into something truly magical.
Hosted by Gloria MacDonald, the Sourdough Sorceress, this show blends stories, science, and a sprinkle of sourdough magic to help you bake better bread, nourish your body, and fall in love with the slow, satisfying art of sourdough.
Each episode dives into:
- The health benefits of sourdough and long fermentation
- The why behind the process—from starters and fermentation to flavor and texture
- Practical tips, techniques, and troubleshooting for real home kitchens
- Creative ideas for using sourdough beyond bread, including discard recipes and seasonal bakes
- The deeper joy of slowing down, baking with intention, and sharing food with the people you love
Whether you’re brand new to sourdough or a seasoned baker looking for fresh inspiration, Sourdough Sorcery is your cozy companion in the kitchen—here to make sourdough feel approachable, empowering, and a little bit magical.
New episodes serve up knowledge, encouragement, and plenty of crusty inspiration to help you bake with confidence and create loaves you’re proud to share.
Learn more, explore recipes, and discover tools of the trade at SourdoughSorcery.com.
Sourdough Sorcery
Stop Chasing Perfect Holes: The Truth About Sourdough Crumb
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If you’ve ever sliced into a loaf of sourdough and thought, “Why doesn’t mine look like the ones on Instagram?” — this episode is for you.
Somewhere along the way, sourdough baking became a performance. Giant holes, dramatic crumb shots, dark blistered crusts… and suddenly people feel like their bread isn’t good enough.
But here’s the truth: big holes do not automatically mean better bread.
In this episode, I’m breaking down five sourdough mistakes that almost nobody talks about — especially in the Instagram era — including:
• why chasing dramatic holes can actually lead to uneven fermentation
• what balanced crumb really looks like
• why high hydration isn’t always better
• how overhandling dough during shaping affects structure
• and why comparing your bread to someone else’s kitchen will drive you crazy
We’ll also talk about what actually matters in sourdough baking: even fermentation, balanced structure, and bread that you genuinely enjoy eating.
Because the real goal isn’t impressing Instagram — it’s making bread that tastes amazing to you.
If you'd like to build calm, repeatable confidence in your baking, you can learn more inside my Sourdough Made Easy Online Class.