Your Guide To Open Crumb Baking

When I first started baking way back, the first thing I found myself trying to improve upon was the interior of my loaves.

I think this is natural. With bread, it's relatively easy to get a good crust, but getting a light, airy, and open interior can be pretty elusive—so many things have to line up for it to be just right.

In my latest guide, I talk about all the levers I pull when seeking an open crumb, and hopefully in the process answer one of the most asked questions I get:

I love my bread, but how do I get a more open crumb?

The guide has lots of actionable tips for getting a loaf as open as you'd like, but as they say, with great power comes great responsibility... Don't go too open; your slices still need to hold onto the ingredients! 🙂

(Also, if you have any questions or I missed anything, leave a comment on the post and I'll get back to you!)

In this week's newsletter:

Guide & Recipes: How to bake open crumb sourdough; my best sourdough recipe; sunflower and sesame sourdough
Baking Tip: Why isn't my sourdough starter falling?
Links: A 600-year-old wood-fired Italian bakery (making incredible focaccia)

💡 Guide to baking open crumb bread

Starter management, flour selection, dough hydration, dough strength, and much more—it's all in my guide to opening up your loaves.

READ OPEN CRUMB GUIDE →

Read on for a few of my favorite loaves that have quite an open crumb.

🍞 My Best Sourdough Recipe

Easily one of my more open crumb bread recipes, and probably the one I make most often. It's less about the formula and more about the small process improvements that lead to this recipe.

Put all my tips in the open crumb guide into practice this weekend.

GET BEST SD RECIPE →

🍞 Sunflower & Sesame

Open crumb loaves aren't only possible with 100% white flour, either. This one has a blend and is plenty open for my liking. Plus, the seeds are over-the-top delicious and one of my favorite combinations

GET SUNFLOWER RECIPE →

Want To Chat Bread?

Want to chat with me and a bunch of other friendly and enthusiastic bakers? Join us and get all my sourdough tools, exclusive recipes, and access to our private chat channel. Plus, get first dibs on booking workshops and international trips (think: Sicily, Copenhagen, and more)!

JOIN US BAKERS →

💬 Member Discussion of the Week

I am on day 10 of using your starter recipe. Followed the recipe accordingly to directions. The starter did what it was supposed to do. Now, by day 8, the starter rises but doesn’t fall back down. Also, keep the starter in a home proofer, set to 80°F. Any suggestions as to why it’s not dropping back down? Thanks for your time.

It’s completely fine if your starter isn’t falling back down after it rises. This can happen depending on the type of flour you’re using—some flours retain structure and hold the rise longer. As long as it’s bubbly, smells pleasant, and shows good activity, it sounds like your starter is on the right track.

🛟 2 Ways I Can Help You Today

How I bake bread with the thinnest of crusts (crispy, crunchy, crackly!)
Mixing dough by hand? Check out the slap-and-fold technique for super-fast, efficient mixing.

📙 What I'm Reading and Watching

Inside a 600-year-old Italian Bakery That's Still Alive with Tradition (YouTube). Next time someone questions my olive oil use with focaccia, I'll send them this video 🔥

Happy baking!

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🍞 NEW: Your guide to open crumb baking