Sourdough isn’t just a recipe—it’s a rhythm, a relationship. While books and internet forums are filled with instructions, hydration percentages, and strict techniques, what truly transforms your bread is how well you learn to feel it.

This is where intuitive baking comes in: understanding sourdough through your senses—sight, smell, touch—and learning how to work with the dough, not against it. Here are the tips no one tells you—but that you’ll never forget once you start listening.

1. The Convex/Concave Truth of Starters
Your starter speaks a visual language. When the surface is convex, it’s still rising—lively, full of fermentation. When it becomes concave, it has peaked and collapsed. The sweet spot for baking is at its height, or just before.

Use a glass jar and mark the starting height with a rubber band. You’ll witness the rise and fall like a natural tide. This teaches you timing—not by schedule, but by sight. The dough is alive, and watching it teaches you patience.

2. The Cradle Fold
Most folding methods are mechanical. The Cradle Fold is my own creation—a deeply nurturing method that builds strength through softness. Picture gently lifting a baby lying on their stomach and folding their hands and feet together in a tuck. That’s the motion.

The Cradle Fold promotes a strong gluten network while preserving the delicate air pockets you want in an artisan loaf. It also brings calm to the baker—it’s tactile, grounding, and incredibly satisfying.

3. Let the Dough Tell You
Forget timers. Ask the dough:

• Is it resisting or softening?

• Does it tear or stretch?

• Does the surface jiggle gently when tapped?

When the dough holds shape, forms bubbles, and becomes elastic—it’s ready. Learning to read these signs frees you from rigid structure and brings flow into your process.

4. Feed with Feel
Your starter doesn’t live by the clock. It thrives when it’s observed and understood. Feed it when:

• It smells overly tangy

• It’s sunken at the center

• Bubbles appear sluggish or missing

The temperature in your kitchen, the flour you use, and your water all impact activity. Baking by intuition starts with observation—and your starter will always tell you what it needs.

5. Cold Fermentation is a Gift
Cold-proofing your dough in the fridge is one of the most powerful tools you have. It builds flavor, allows flexibility in baking schedules, and leads to better crust and crumb.

Depending on fridge temperature, 8–24 hours is ideal. This technique is perfect for busy lives, and it reduces pressure. No rushing. Just readiness when you are.

These tips are not just about improving your loaf—they’re about making sourdough a joyful, embodied experience. One that fits your life, your rhythm, and your intuition.