There are blondies… and then there are good blondies… and then there are the kind of blondies that make people pause mid-bite and go, “Wait. Why are these so much better than every other blondie I’ve had?”

That’s what we’re doing here.

These are not cakey blondies. They are not the dry, overly sweet blondies that feel like chocolate chip cookie bars with an identity crisis. They are not the kind you bake, cool for ten seconds, hack into uneven squares, and pretend are fine because “homemade is rustic.” No. These are the glossy-topped, dense-centered, extra-fudgy, almost-brownie-textured blondies that feel like they came from a bakery that charges too much but you still happily pay it because they’re that good.

What Makes This Recipe Special?

This is not a cookie bar.

This is not a cake.

This is a controlled, rich blondie system designed to:

• stay soft in the center

• slice clean after chilling

• and feel like something you paid too much for (in a good way)

A lot of blondie recipes are written like they’re just brownies without cocoa. But that’s not really how the good ones work.

A proper blondie needs richness from the butter, body from the white chocolate, structure from whipped eggs and sugar, enough flour to hold everything together without turning it cakey, and just enough starch to keep the texture soft and close.

The cornstarch is one of the sneakiest smart parts of the formula. It softens the crumb and helps keep the blondies from getting too bread-y or overly chewy in a tough way. The white chocolate is not just there for sweetness; it also adds fat and structure, which gives the blondies more body and that lush, dense bite. The eggs and sugar being whipped together until pale, thick, and doubled in size is another key move from the original method, because that’s what helps create the glossy top and some internal lift without turning the whole thing cakey.

In other words: this is a very simple recipe, but it is not a careless one.

Let’s talk about the butter like adults

We’re using:
- Plugrá or Kerrygold

Why?

Because fat content matters.

Higher fat:

• makes the blondies richer

• reduces water (aka less steam, aka better texture)

• gives you that soft, dense bite instead of something airy and forgettable

This is one of those quiet upgrades that makes people go:
“Why are yours better?”

European-style butter has less water and more butterfat than standard American butter, which means your blondies come out richer, denser, smoother, and more luxurious. Less water means less steam in the oven, and that helps keep the texture tighter and fudgier instead of puffier and more cake-like.

If you want bakery-style blondies, use better butter. That’s the truth.

This isn’t a recipe that only works if you source ingredients from a unicorn-run specialty shop, I’ve successfully used store brand products in this recipe without issue (except for the butter!).

Ingredients

You’ll need:

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp European-style salted butter - 82%-85% or higher (Plugrá or Kerrygold work well)

• 7 oz white chocolate

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I’ve even used King Arthur’s 1:1 Gluten-Free flour successfully!)

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

The Method

Step 1: Prep the Pan Before You Even Think About Mixing

Before you start anything else, line your pan with parchment paper, pressing it down into the corners and leaving enough overhang to lift the blondies out later. This sounds boring. It is not. That is how you get the blondies out neatly, keep the edges intact, and avoid the deeply annoying experience of trying to excavate expensive butter bars out of a sticky pan like an archaeologist with emotional issues. Future you will be grateful when you can just lift the whole slab out like a civilized person.

You want that paper tucked in properly so the batter can spread evenly and the finished blondies hold their shape cleanly. If the paper bunches awkwardly or leaves gaps, you’ll get weird edges and inconsistent corners. And for a blondie this thick and fudgy, the corners matter.

Step 2: Preheat Your Oven Properly

You’ll want to pre-heat at about bout 325°F convection, or roughly 335–340°F in a standard oven. If your oven runs hot, stay closer to 325°F. If you know it runs cool, 335°F is reasonable.

And I need to say this because people love to ignore preheating like it’s a suggestion: your oven needs to be fully hot before the pan goes in. Fully. Not “it beeped and I gave it a vibe check.” Fully preheated. Blondies are not especially forgiving when it comes to a weak oven start. If the oven temperature is still climbing when your batter goes in, the top and edges won’t set on the right timeline, and your center can end up too loose while the overall bake turns uneven.

Step 3: Whip the Eggs and Sugar Until They Actually Change

You’ll want to whisk the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale, thick, and doubled in size. This is one of the most important steps in the whole recipe and it is exactly the kind of step people rush and then blame the recipe for later.

You are not just combining eggs and sugar here. You are building structure. You are dissolving sugar into the eggs, incorporating air, and setting up that shiny, crackly top.

When it’s ready, the mixture should look noticeably lighter in color and thicker than when you started. If you lift the whisk, it should fall back in ribbons for a moment rather than disappearing instantly. If it still looks thin and raw and flat, keep going.

This is not wasted time. This is texture insurance.

Step 4: Melt the White Chocolate and Butter Gently

In a separate microwave-safe bowl, combine the white chocolate and butter. Start with 30-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each one until everything is fully melted and combined. If the mixture splits a little, not to worry — it will still bake perfectly.

White chocolate is dramatic. It scorches easily and can seize if overheated. So don’t just nuke it into oblivion and hope for the best. Heat, stir, heat, stir, repeat. Slow and steady.

And remember, if you’re using Plugrá or Kerrygold, the richer butterfat is going to make this mixture even more luscious. That’s exactly what we want.

Step 5: Combine the Wet Ingredients Without Destroying the Texture You Just Built

Pour the melted chocolate and butter mixture into the whipped eggs and sugar, then whisk on medium speed until fully combined and smooth.

That’s right, but here’s the nuance: you want the melted mixture warm, not scorching hot. If it’s too hot, you risk shocking the egg mixture and messing with the structure you just created. Let it sit for a minute if needed.

When you combine, do it steadily. You’re trying to marry the richness of the butter and white chocolate with the airiness of the egg-sugar foam. This is where the batter starts looking like it means business.

Step 6: Switch to a Paddle or Spatula and Treat the Batter With Some Respect

Switch to a paddle attachment if you’re using a stand mixer, or to set aside the hand mixer and grab a spatula. Once the dry ingredients go in, you really do not want to overwork the batter.

Add the flour and cornstarch, then mix on the lowest speed only until just combined, or gently fold by hand. Do not knock too much air out of the mixture. You want to keep the batter smooth and cohesive, but you do not want to beat it into submission.

This is blondie batter, not drywall paste.

Once there are no visible dry streaks, stop. Done. Walk away.

Step 7: Pour It Into the Pan and Tap Out the Air

But don’t walk away too far for too long. The batter gets tipped into the lined tray, leveled out, and then the tray is given a few firm taps on the worktop to release hidden air bubbles.

Those taps settle the batter, even out the surface, and help prevent weird internal gaps. When you’re aiming for a dense, glossy, fudgy final blondie, random trapped air pockets are not your friend.

Step 8: Add Your Flavors and Toppings Before Baking

This is the fun part. Add your chosen flavors and toppings to the top of the batter, then lightly press them in so they sit nicely in the mixture.

That “lightly press them in” part matters. If you just scatter toppings on top and leave them sitting there, some may toast too aggressively, some may not anchor properly, and some may fall off when slicing. Pressing them in just enough helps them become part of the blondie instead of random decorations with commitment issues.

(Paid members will find a special spot at the end of this post that details out some of my best selling blondie flavor combos!)

Step 9: Bake Until the Texture Is Right, Not Just the Clock

Bake for around 25 minutes. “Around” is the keyword. Time matters, but texture matters more.

The doneness cue it gives is excellent: the blondies should have a shiny, crackly top like a brownie, the edges about 2 cm in should be set, but the middle should still have a gentle wobble — softer than a typical blondie recipe.

That is exactly what you should look for. Remember the wobble!

If you wait until the center is fully firm in the oven, you will almost certainly overbake them. The magic of this style of blondie is that the center finishes setting as it cools and then fully stabilizes in the fridge. That is how you get the dense, fudgy, bakery texture instead of a dry blondie bar that tastes fine but makes nobody emotional.

Step 10: Tap the Pan Again When It Comes Out

Take the blondies out of the oven and gently tap the tin on the countertop to remove any air bubbles formed during baking. It’s one of those things people skip because they don’t understand why.

That gentle tap settles the structure and helps prevent overly airy pockets, keeping the texture tighter and more controlled.

Step 11: Cool on the Counter for 20 Minutes Before Chilling

This is one of the most important notes in this post. Leave the blondies on the counter for about 20 minutes, then refrigerate overnight for the best texture. This cooling period before refrigerating is a total game changer because it lets the blondies continue cooking and “locks in the correct amount of moisture,” while putting them straight into the fridge has left them too dry when slicing.

That is what makes this personally developed blondie recipe different (and better imho) than anything else you’ll find.

This is where a lot of people unknowingly ruin good blondies. If you refrigerate too soon, you interrupt the natural carryover bake and the moisture redistribution process. If you skip the fridge entirely and slice them warm, you get a sloppy, unstable texture that hasn’t had time to set properly. But if you let them cool first and then chill overnight, everything settles exactly the way you want.

This is why bakery bars often taste better the next day. It’s not a conspiracy. It’s structure.

Step 12: Slice Cold, With a Sharp Knife, Like You Want Them to Look Good

I recommend a large sharp knife, ideally a chef’s knife, to slice the blondies the next day. Perfect advice. A long sharp blade gives cleaner cuts, especially when the blondies are dense and rich.

For the cleanest slices, wipe your knife between cuts or warm under warm water. If you want them to look especially polished, you can even warm the blade slightly with hot water and wipe it dry before slicing.

If you’re serving them for friends, this is nice. If you’re selling them, photographing them, or trying to make people on the internet lose their minds over your crumb shot, this is essential.

Viral Flavor Systems

Every blondie you make should have:

• a base flavor

• something mixed in

• something swirled

• something on top

That’s how you create something people remember.

Bakery-Style Combos (high drama, high payoff)

All of these can be topped with a beautiful layer of ganache, as well! You can find those recipes here!

Read more

For celebrating 1,000 subscriptions, I wanted to put out something that felt genuinely meaningful. Not just “here’s a recipe, have fun,” but something that feels like a real gift. Something foundational. Something with roots.

And for me, bagels are exactly that.

As a Jewish descendant with Polish roots, bagels are not just another bread project or trendy weekend bake. They carry history. They carry memory. They carry migration, preservation, ingenuity, and that very specific kind of food culture where something simple becomes sacred because it is done well, over and over again, with care and insistence and standards. Very high standards, let’s be honest.

And that’s what this guide is about.

This is not a fluffy “bagels are easier than you think!” post that leaves you confused, under-informed, and staring at six pale bread donuts wondering where you went wrong.

This is the full system.

Because bagels are deceptively simple. On paper, they’re made from only a few ingredients. Nothing wildly exotic. Nothing especially fussy in theory. But in practice? Bagels are one of those bakes where tiny differences in flour, proofing, shaping, boiling, and heat make the difference between:

• a real, glossy, chewy, slightly sweet, proper New York–style bagel
  and

• a dinner roll with a hole in it.

We are here for the first one.

So if you’ve ever wondered why homemade bagels sometimes come out bready instead of bagel-y, why some are dense while others go flat, why that crust never seems to happen, or whether the New York water myth is actually the reason your bagels don’t taste like the city — come sit down, bestie. We are getting into all of it.

First, let’s clear something up: it is not just about the water

I feel like one of the longest-running bagel myths is that you simply cannot make an authentic New York bagel unless you have New York City tap water. People talk about it like it’s some enchanted municipal potion piped down from the heavens straight into a kettle in Brooklyn.

And listen — I get it. I really do. The myth is romantic. It’s a great story. It gives people a neat answer for why a New York bagel tastes like a New York bagel.

But after years of trying to understand what actually makes a bagel taste and feel “right,” I can tell you this: it’s not only the water.

In fact, I even went so far as to bring home a bottle of New York City water to test the theory for myself. And what did I get? Not magic. Not revelation. Not sudden borough-level enlightenment.

I got a bread roll with a hole.

A perfectly edible one, sure. But not a bagel with that signature chewy pull, that light shine, that taut, snappy crust, that specific kind of bounce and resilience that makes a good bagel feel like it has self-respect.

What actually makes the difference is far less glamorous and far more useful:

• the protein percentage of the flour

• the use of malt sweetener

• proper cold proofing

• correct boiling

• and high-heat baking on a preheated surface

So no, you do not need New York City water shipped to your house like a lunatic. If your tap water tastes fine, use it. If your water tastes metallic or sulfurous or otherwise weird, use filtered water. But please do not let the water myth stop you from making fantastic bagels in your own kitchen.

Because the real bagel magic is in the method.

Why bagels are so particular in the first place

Bagels are funny because they look rustic and humble, but they behave like tiny, dramatic tyrants.

They need a slow, cold rise to develop flavor. That long fermentation is what gives them depth — not sourness exactly, but a mature, rounded, almost tangy complexity that plain room-temperature-risen dough just doesn’t have.

At the same time, bagel dough is rich in strong flour proteins and often includes sweetener, which means it can proof surprisingly quickly when warm. So even though they need time, they also have an uncanny ability to overproof if you let them sit around too long at room temperature.

That contradiction is part of why bagels require planning.

They are not difficult because the ingredient list is long or because the shaping is impossible. They are difficult because the timing matters. The dough is stiff. The proofing window matters. The boiling matters. The oven setup matters. It’s a bake where your method carries a lot of weight.

The good news? Once you understand the system, bagels become much less mysterious.

My preferred bagel timing system

Because bagels need an overnight cold proof, I almost always think of them as a two-part process rather than a same-day bread. You mix and shape first, then bake later.

Here’s the timing that works beautifully for me.

Evening mix, morning bake

• 8 PM: mix and shape the dough

• Refrigerate overnight

• 7 AM: start preheating the oven and bring the water to a boil

• 8 AM: bagels are hot, fresh, glossy, and ready to eat

This is my favorite schedule because it gives you that dream scenario: breakfast bagels that actually taste like they were worth waking up for.

Morning mix, evening bake

• 8 AM: mix and shape the dough

• Refrigerate during the day

• 7 PM: preheat the oven and bring water to a boil

• 9 PM: bagels are fresh and done

If you go this route and you’re baking for the next morning, I’d cool them and store them in a paper bag overnight.

The main point here is that bagels are not casual. They’re not “I’ll just whip these up sometime around lunch.” They ask you to commit to a timeline. But once you do, the payoff is huge.

The five essential ingredients — and why each one matters

Let’s strip this all the way down.

Bagels are, at their core, beautifully simple. Real bagels don’t need a laundry list of ingredients to be good. In fact, a proper bagel is built from just a handful of fundamentals. What matters is not complexity. What matters is that each ingredient is doing a very specific job.

1. High-gluten flour: the backbone of the whole thing

If you take nothing else from this guide, take this:

The flour makes all the difference.

Not kind of. Not a little. Not in a “well technically all ingredients matter” kind of way.

I mean truly, dramatically, unmistakably: the flour changes the outcome of the bagel.

The hallmark of a New York–style bagel is that tight chew. That glossy shell. That strong structure that puffs in the oven but still keeps its dense, satisfying body. You do not get that from generic all-purpose flour.

High-gluten flour — sometimes labeled high-protein flour — typically comes in around 14.2% protein, which is significantly higher than standard all-purpose flour, which often sits around 10.3%.

That extra protein means more gluten development. More gluten means:

• more chew

• more structure

• a tighter crumb

• better oven spring under high heat

• and that classic bagel texture that makes you actually feel like you’re eating a bagel instead of soft sandwich bread shaped into a ring

This is why so many homemade bagels miss the mark. People use whatever flour they already have and wonder why they came out fluffy and bread-like.

Bestie, because the flour is wrong.

For most of my high-gluten bagel recipes, I use Sir Lancelot high-gluten flour from King Arthur Baking Company. It’s excellent. High-gluten flour is also often available online or through restaurant supply stores, although yes, the joke is real — sometimes it’s easiest to buy it in quantities that make it seem like you’re opening a deli.

If you can figure out where to put fifty pounds of flour, honestly? Godspeed.

2. Malt sweetener: the flavor nobody should skip

All bagels need a sweetener, whether people realize it or not.

And for classic New York–style bagels, the sweetener of choice is usually barley malt syrup or sometimes malt powder. This is what gives bagels that familiar aroma and that unmistakable “bagel shop” flavor that honey or sugar alone don’t quite replicate.

Malt adds:

• subtle sweetness

• color

• aroma

• depth

• and that distinct malty note that makes a plain bagel taste like itself

Some bakers use sweetener both in the dough and in the boiling water. In my system, I prefer the sweetener in the dough only. That gives the bagels their proper flavor without overcomplicating the process.

That said, if you want even more color and extra bagel-shop oomph next time, you can stir 126 grams, or 1/3 cup, of sweetener into the boiling water bath.

*A note on barley malt syrup

Barley malt syrup is one of those ingredients that I fully respect and deeply resent.

It is sticky beyond reason. It clings to everything. It is weirdly difficult to portion neatly. It can make you feel like you’re fighting a medieval tar substance in your kitchen.

But it is also one of the most authentic and rewarding bagel ingredients you can use.

My advice:

• take it out of the refrigerator ahead of time

• let it warm slightly before measuring

• pour it directly into the mixing bowl on a scale when possible

• use scissors if you need help portioning it cleanly

• if you’re measuring by spoon, lightly oil the spoon first so the syrup actually leaves the spoon instead of trying to stay forever

Once opened, barley malt syrup should be refrigerated, which only makes it more obnoxious to use cold. So plan ahead.

A good alternative: non-diastatic malt powder

If syrup makes you want to throw something, use non-diastatic malt powder.

It gives you the right flavor and color with much less drama. In this recipe, it substitutes one-to-one by volume. So:

• 1 tablespoon malt powder = 1 tablespoon barley malt syrup

You can also add a tablespoon of malt powder to the boiling water for extra depth if you’d like.

3. Yeast: dependable, not flashy

For bagels, I strongly prefer SAF Instant Yeast.

This is the kind of yeast many pros and bakeries use because it’s:

• dependable

• consistent

• affordable

• easy to work with

Instant yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients. No blooming required. No extra bowl. No extra step. I love that for us.

Usually it comes in a red one-pound package meant for breads. There’s also a gold version for sweeter doughs like brioche or sticky buns, but for bagels, the red is the one I reach for.

A pound of yeast sounds like a lot, but if you keep it in a tightly sealed jar in the freezer, it stays viable for a long time. I scoop from it as needed.

Can you use active dry yeast?

Yes. You can use active dry yeast in place of instant yeast in this system, but you must treat it properly.

To do that:

• bloom it in 112 grams, or 1/2 cup, of warm water

• let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes

• once it foams, proceed

• reduce the water in the recipe by that same 112 grams or 1/2 cup

If it doesn’t foam, the yeast is likely no good and should be discarded.

What about fast-rising yeast?

No.

Fast-rising yeast is not your friend here. It proofs the dough too quickly, which robs bagels of the slow flavor development and the proper crust structure we’re after.

Can it make bread? Sure.

Can it make the kind of bagel we want? Not really.

4. Salt: small ingredient, huge impact

Salt in bagels does more than just make them taste seasoned.

It sharpens flavor. It balances the sweetness of the malt. It helps the dough behave properly. It keeps the whole thing from tasting flat and dull.

I prefer a kosher salt with a crystal size that dissolves easily. In a recipe this simple, every ingredient shows itself, so don’t think of the salt as a side note. It matters.

5. Water: necessary, but not mystical

Water hydrates the dough and helps determine how the texture develops, but as I said earlier, it is not some magical New York-only ingredient.

If your water tastes good, use it.

If it has a heavy mineral taste, use filtered water.

And if you’re serious about bread baking, weigh it. Honestly, weigh everything. Bread is so much more consistent when you stop relying on volume for the major ingredients.

The equipment that actually helps

You do not need to own a full bagel shop. But a few tools really do make this process smoother and more successful.

Stand mixer

Bagel dough is very stiff. I’m not saying this to be cute. I mean it. This dough will test your mixer, your patience, your shoulder joints, and your beliefs.

A stand mixer is incredibly helpful because the kneading is intense and prolonged. If you plan to make bagels regularly — especially if you’re thinking about selling them in a cottage food setup someday — just know that bagels are hard on equipment.

A standard home mixer can absolutely do it, but watch it closely. This dough can make a mixer hop across the counter like it’s trying to escape a hostage situation.

Kitchen scale

Absolutely non-negotiable for me.

Could you make bagels with cups? Technically, yes.

Would I recommend it if you want consistency? Absolutely not.

Bagel dough is too specific for guesswork. Weighing your ingredients makes the dough repeatable and saves you from inconsistent hydration and weird results.

Baking sheets

You’ll need these for proofing and handling.

Baking steel or pizza stone

This is one of the most important pieces of the whole system.

In a real bagel bakery, deck ovens create the ideal baking environment. They’re often tile- or brick-lined, sometimes wood-fired, and they radiate fierce, close heat that helps create that all-around shell on the bagel.

At home, the closest thing I’ve found to mimicking that environment is a baking steel.

When I finally started using the same steel I use for pizza, everything clicked. The bagels got that full shell without needing to be turned over mid-bake. The crumb was better. The crust was better. The shine was better. The whole bake made more sense.

A pizza stone works too. Even an inverted baking sheet can help in a pinch, though it won’t hold or radiate heat as effectively. But baking on top of a preheated flat surface is far better than baking inside a regular sheet pan with sides.

Let’s talk technique — because this is where bagels are made or ruined

Mixing: one bowl, one dough, one very strong opinion

One of the nice things about bagels is that the dough itself is straightforward. Everything goes into one bowl:

• flour

• water

• yeast

• sweetener

• salt

That’s it.

I like to place the mixer bowl directly on the scale and weigh everything into it. Fewer dishes, fewer measuring cups, less nonsense.

For tiny ingredients like yeast and salt, I’ll often still use measuring spoons because some kitchen scales don’t read tiny amounts precisely enough. But for the flour, water, and sweetener, weighing is the way to go.

The dough will seem shaggy and maybe a little dry at first. That is normal. Bagel dough is not a soft, silky, highly hydrated bread dough. It is stiff. It is strong. It is very much not here to be easygoing.

And yes, mixing it takes time and power. If you’re using a stand mixer, don’t just switch it on and wander away to fold laundry or scroll around. Stay there. Watch it. The mixer may buck and jump.

If you’re making it by hand, expect to knead for around 20 solid minutes. And maybe text a strong friend.

Adding inclusions

If you plan to add things like raisins, cheese, or other mix-ins, I recommend doing that after the autolyse so the dough has had a chance to hydrate first.

Autolyse: the step that makes your life easier

I love this step because it feels small but changes everything.

Autolyse is simply giving the dough a short rest after the ingredients are initially combined and before the full knead begins. I usually cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rest for about 20 minutes.

This does a few things:

• gives the flour time to fully absorb the liquid

• allows gluten to begin developing more gently

• makes the kneading process smoother

• leads to a more cohesive, elastic dough

It is one of those baker’s tricks that feels almost too simple to matter, but it absolutely does.

The key is not to overdo it. About 20 minutes is lovely. Much longer than that, and you’re drifting into a different process.

Shaping: no, you are not born knowing how to do this

Let me lovingly say this: nobody emerges from the womb shaping perfect bagels.

This is a learned skill. You get better by doing it. That’s it.

Your first few homemade bagels may be a little lumpy or uneven or weirdly oval or dramatic in some other deeply personal way. They will still taste good.

The most important thing while shaping is not to flour your work surface.

I know. It feels wrong. Every instinct says “dust the counter.” But bagels benefit from a clean, dry surface with a little friction. That friction helps create surface tension, which contributes to the smooth, taut exterior that later bakes into that shiny crust.

Start by portioning the dough

Dump the dough onto a clean work surface and divide it into equal pieces. For this recipe, that’s about 110 grams each for six full-size bagels.

Then, working one piece at a time:

• flatten it slightly into a disc

• pull the edges inward toward the center

• pinch and gather to form a rough ball

• place it seam-side down

• roll it under your cupped palm until you have a snug, smooth dough ball

Do this in the same order you portioned them so the first ones have a tiny bit more time to relax before shaping. Little workflow details matter with dough.

Two shaping methods: roll or poke

There are two main ways to shape bagels, and honestly, both work. Some people have a strong preference, but I think it’s worth trying both and seeing what your hands like best.

Method 1: Roll them

This feels more classic and bakery-like.

Take a dough ball and roll it into a rope about 9 inches long. Start from the center and move outward with flattened palms, pressing gently so the rope stays even in thickness. Try not to taper the ends.

Then:

• overlap the ends

• pinch the seam firmly

• place the ring over your fingers

• roll the seam area lightly against the counter to smooth and tighten it

Finally, use your fingers in the center hole to stretch it a bit wider than you think it needs to be. The hole will shrink back as the dough rests and proofs, so a slightly exaggerated center hole is your friend.

Method 2: Poke them

This is often the more approachable method for home bakers.

Start with the rounded dough ball and poke a thumb directly through the center. Then use your fingers to widen and rotate the hole until you get a nice ring shape.

Again: make the hole larger than you think. Bagels love to puff inward.

Once all are shaped, go back and tweak them. This is the time to poke, pinch, scooch, smooth, and generally give them a little cosmetic support before proofing.

Mini bagels

Mini bagels are exactly what they sound like: the same dough, just smaller.

A mini bagel should weigh about 55 to 70 grams before baking, roughly half the weight of a standard one.

They’re perfect for:

• brunch spreads

• sampling different flavors

• kids

• anyone who wants multiple schmear opportunities in one sitting, which frankly I respect

Proofing: where the bagel either becomes itself or betrays you

Of all the stages in bagel making, proofing is the trickiest.

The dough can move fast because of the high-protein flour and sweetener, but a good bagel absolutely needs time for flavor development. That’s why bagels are almost always best with a slow, cold rise.

Once shaped, place the bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. The cornmeal is important — it helps prevent sticking as the bagels proof overnight. And yes, if you forget it, the bagels will absolutely punish you for your choices later.

The baking sheet needs to fit in your refrigerator. I usually do six bagels on a quarter-sheet pan or something similar.

Cover them well. Plastic wrap is fine, but lightly grease the underside so it doesn’t stick to the bagels. Some pans have lids, which is honestly ideal.

The timing window

After a lot of testing, I find that bagels need:

• at least 8 hours

• no more than 14 hours

• with the sweet spot around 11 hours

That gives you some flexibility, but not infinite flexibility. This is not the kind of dough you can leave for 20 hours and hope for the best.

Cold proofing slows the rise, but it does not stop it. That distinction matters.

A bagel that proofs too little will be dense and stubborn. A bagel that proofs too long will be airy, fragile, and likely to flatten when boiled or baked.

Boiling: the step that separates bagels from round bread

By definition, bagels are boiled before they’re baked. This is the part that gives them their characteristic skin — that tight exterior that later becomes glossy and crackly in the oven.

Before you start boiling, get your baking setup ready:

• parchment cut and staged

• pizza peel, board, or inverted baking sheet ready for transfer

• oven already preheated with the baking steel or stone inside

You want to move from boiling to baking efficiently.

Let them lose the fridge chill first

Take the bagels out of the refrigerator and let them sit just long enough to lose the immediate chill while the oven finishes preheating and the water comes to a boil.

Not forever. Not a whole extra proof. Just enough that they aren’t icy-cold when they hit the water.

The water setup

Use a deep pot — a 5-quart Dutch oven is a great size — and bring the water to a vigorous boil.

Then gently lift the bagels one at a time from the proofing sheet. Use your fingers if possible and try not to deflate them.

If they stick:

• work slowly

• curse softly

• use more cornmeal next time

If they are stuck badly enough, you can cut the parchment around them with scissors and lower them into the water on their little paper raft. The parchment will float away. It’s not elegant, but it works beautifully in a pinch.

What the float tells you

When you drop the bagel into the boiling water, it should float.

A properly proofed bagel will bob on the surface with confidence.

If it sinks and then rises within 15 to 30 seconds, it’s probably a little underproofed but still usable. The finished texture may be slightly chewier.

If it sinks and stays sunk, it is not ready. Either it didn’t proof long enough, or the yeast is weak. In that case, let the remaining bagels sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes and try again.

If the bagel feels feather-light, floats instantly, and then deflates after boiling, it was likely overproofed.

How long to boil

The bagels should spend 60 to 90 seconds total in the water.

While they boil, use a spider or slotted spoon to:

• dunk

• flip

• submerge

• turn them over and over

This helps build that skin evenly.

You may see small blisters forming on the surface. That’s normal.

As soon as they come out, either:

• dip them into toppings
  or

• place them directly onto the waiting parchment, cornmeal-side down

And then get them into the oven promptly. Don’t let boiled bagels sit around forever, especially if they’re already well-proofed.

Baking: how to fake a hot deck oven in a regular kitchen

Bagels need high heat. Real heat. Not lazy, underwhelming “well my oven said it was hot” heat.

This is one of the reasons so many homemade bagels come out pale or soft. Bagels need that burst of fierce oven energy to puff, set, shine, and crisp.

That is why I’m such a huge believer in preheating a baking steel or pizza stone for at least 30 minutes at the oven’s highest temperature, usually somewhere between 450°F and 500°F.

Then, once the bagels are boiled and ready to go, lower the oven to 450°F and bake them directly on that blazing-hot surface.

This setup helps the bottom and sides of the bagel bake with the same intensity as the top, which is exactly what helps create the all-around shell and proper crumb.

Why not just use a sheet pan?

Because the sides of a normal baking sheet absorb and block heat differently. It’s not the same environment. A flat, preheated surface behaves much more like a bakery deck oven.

What to look for when they’re done

Bagels should be:

• deeply golden

• shiny

• lightly blistered

• set and firm

• fully colored, not pale and timid

Depending on your oven, this can take 12 to 16 minutes. Watch them. Trust your eyes more than the exact minute mark.

How to store bagels without ruining them

Fresh bagels are best the day they’re made, obviously. That’s part of their charm.

After baking, I leave them on a wire rack or in a bowl draped with a clean tea towel. They’re happiest at room temperature for the first several hours.

They stay freshest this way for about four hours before you need to think about storing them more intentionally.

Short-term storage

If you’re eating them within a couple of days:

• keep them in a bread bag at room temperature

• toast before serving once they’ve lost that same-day magic

Do not refrigerate them

I mean it.

The refrigerator is not helping you here. It just dries them out further.

Freezing

Bagels freeze beautifully.

Seal them well and they’ll keep for up to three months. When ready to eat, reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes to bring them back as close as possible to their freshly baked state.

You can use:

• plastic bread bags

• zip-top bags

• fabric bread bags

• beeswax wraps

• a bread box

Whatever works best in your kitchen. I just wouldn’t put them in the fridge unless you enjoy self-sabotage.

Troubleshooting: let’s talk about what went wrong

Because sometimes you do everything “right” and a bagel still gets weird. Let’s decode that.

Why is my bagel flattened and deflated?

Usually one of these:

• it proofed too long

• it sat too long in the fridge

• it boiled too long

• it went into the boil too cold

Bagels should lose their fridge chill before boiling, but they should not sit around warm forever.

How do I know a bagel is ready to bake?

A properly proofed bagel will be nearly doubled from shaping. It should feel light in your hand, but not delicate or fragile.

Think: airy enough to float, sturdy enough to survive.

Why are my bagels dense?

Most likely:

• underproofed

• old yeast

• insufficient fermentation time

Dense bagels are usually a proofing issue first.

Is there a proofing test I can use?

Yes, and it’s a good one.

When shaping the bagels, save a tiny nugget of dough and let it proof alongside the rest. Before boiling the bagels, drop the nugget into the boiling water.

If it floats, your bagels are probably ready.

If it sinks and stays sunk for more than about 30 seconds, they need more time.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, easily with a scale.

But also… please know what you’re asking of your mixer.

Bagel dough is not gentle. A doubled batch is even less gentle. If your mixer is already fighting for its life with one batch, don’t make it file a complaint.

Is there a faster way?

Technically yes.

You can proof bagels on the counter and bake them the same day. They may be ready in about an hour.

Will they be bagels with depth and character? Not really.

They’ll be fine. They’ll also be flatter in flavor, less nuanced, and less worth the effort.

My proofed bagels stuck to the parchment and got squished

You forgot the cornmeal. It’s okay. We’ve all done it.

Use scissors to snip the parchment around each bagel, slide a spatula underneath, and lower the bagel into the water still attached to its little paper square. The paper will float off. Discard it and proceed.

It’s a deeply satisfying little rescue move.

The authentic New York City bagel recipe

This is the classic. The one I want you to start with. The one that proves you do not need the boroughs in your zip code to make a real bagel.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cornmeal, for dusting

• 420 grams high-gluten flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon instant yeast

• 21 grams (1 tablespoon) barley malt syrup, maple syrup, or honey

• water, as called for in your dough formula

• toppings, optional

And yes — I know maple syrup or honey can be used here, but if what you want is the most authentic bagel-shop-adjacent flavor, barley malt is still the gold standard.

Method: the full walk-through

1. Prepare the proofing pan

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scatter the cornmeal evenly over the surface. Set it aside.

This is where your shaped bagels will rest and proof, and the cornmeal creates that necessary buffer so they don’t weld themselves to the parchment overnight.

2. Measure directly into the mixing bowl

Set the stand mixer bowl on your kitchen scale and tare it to zero. Add the flour, water, barley malt syrup, salt, and yeast.

Attach the dough hook and mix on low just until the ingredients come together and there are no visible dry patches of flour.

At this stage, the dough will probably look rough and shaggy. That’s fine. You have not failed. Bagel dough never starts out looking relaxed and beautiful.

3. Let the dough autolyse

Scrape down the bowl if needed, then mix briefly on medium until the dough begins to come together and the sides are mostly clean, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Then stop.

Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

This pause allows the flour to fully hydrate and gives the gluten a chance to relax before the full knead. It makes the dough easier to work with and improves the final texture.

4. Knead thoroughly

After the rest, mix on medium speed for 7 full minutes, until the dough is smooth, satiny, and strong and the bowl looks mostly clean.

Watch the mixer the whole time.

I am not kidding.

Bagel dough is stiff and can absolutely make the mixer shimmy, bounce, and attempt a dramatic exit from the counter.

5. Divide and pre-shape

Turn the dough out onto a clean, unfloured work surface. Knead it by hand a few times — just five or six quick kneads is enough.

Then divide it into six equal pieces, each weighing about 110 grams, just under 4 ounces.

Shape each one into a smooth dough ball.

6. Shape the bagels

Use either the rope method or the poke method described above.

Once shaped, place the bagels onto the prepared cornmeal-dusted baking sheet.

Cover tightly with lightly greased plastic wrap, or use a fitted pan lid if you have one.

Refrigerate overnight for at least 8 hours and no more than 14 hours.

7. Preheat the oven and prepare the boil

When you’re ready to bake, remove the bagels from the refrigerator and uncover them.

Place a baking steel, pizza stone, or inverted baking sheet on the center oven rack and preheat the oven to its highest setting, somewhere between 450°F and 500°F, for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a hard boil.

Set up a fresh piece of parchment on a pizza peel, large cutting board, or inverted baking sheet — something flat that will let you slide the bagels into the oven.

8. Boil the bagels

The bagels should look slightly puffed from their overnight rise.

Lift them gently, brush away excess cornmeal if needed, and lower them one by one into the boiling water. Don’t crowd the pot; two or three at a time is enough.

Use a slotted spoon or spider to turn and submerge them repeatedly for about 60 seconds total, up to 90 seconds max.

They should become a little puffed and a little shiny.

9. Top and transfer

Remove the boiled bagels and place them onto the waiting parchment, keeping the side that sat on the cornmeal facing down.

If you’re using toppings, add them while the bagels are still damp so they stick.

Repeat with the remaining bagels.

10. Bake

Lower the oven temperature to 450°F.

Slide the parchment and bagels directly onto the preheated steel, stone, or hot inverted sheet and bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until deeply golden brown and glossy.

Every oven is a little different, so watch for color and shell development more than obsessing over the exact minute.

11. Cool before eating

As rude as this feels, let them cool slightly before tearing into them.

A few minutes of cooling helps the crumb set and keeps you from scorching the roof of your mouth in your excitement.

Which, for the record, I have done. Repeatedly.

Final thoughts: what makes a bagel authentic is not nostalgia alone — it’s method

The reason truly great bagels stand out is not because they are complicated. It’s because they are disciplined.

They rely on:

• strong flour

• proper fermentation

• good shaping

• correct boiling

• serious heat

That’s it. That’s the system.

And once you understand that system, the whole process becomes much less mysterious.

So no, it’s not about mystical city water. It’s not about luck. It’s not about being born into some magical bagel-shaping bloodline.

It’s about knowing what matters and doing it on purpose.

And now you do.

So for 1,000 subscriptions, here is my gift to you: the full bagel spiel. The details. The why behind it, all without the paywall and what I’ve spent countless hours on developing and testing for my own award-winning bakery and food trucks. The stuff that helps you stop making “pretty good homemade bagels” and start making the kind that make people go quiet after the first bite.

The kind worth toasting.
The kind worth schmearing.
The kind worth bragging about a little.

As you should.

Let’s talk about the moment every sourdough person hits.

You’ve made a few loaves.
Your starter is alive. You’re feeling slightly unhinged but powerful.

And suddenly you’re staring at a random recipe like:

“…okay but what if I made this sourdough?”

And then immediately after:

“…wait how do I even DO that without ruining it?”

Because the internet makes it sound like converting recipes to sourdough requires:

• a calculator

• a spreadsheet

• and emotional stability you absolutely do not have

But here’s the truth:

- It’s actually simple once you understand what’s happening.

Not “perfect every time” simple.
But “you’re not going to break anything” simple.

And once you do it a couple times?

You’ll start looking at everything like it’s fair game.

What You’re Actually Doing When You Convert a Recipe

We’re going to kill the confusion right now.

When you add sourdough starter to a recipe, you are not just “adding starter.”

You are adding:

• flour

• water

• wild yeast + bacteria

That’s it. That’s the whole secret.

So converting a recipe is not some mysterious baking ritual.

It’s just:

- adding those things
- and adjusting everything else so your dough doesn’t turn into soup

That’s the entire game.

The 3 Things You Need to Look At Before You Touch Anything

Before you go throwing starter into everything like a chaotic little bread goblin, pause for two seconds and look at the recipe.

Because these three things will tell you exactly how to approach it.

1. Is This a Yeast Recipe or Not?

This is the biggest fork in the road.

If it’s:

• bread

• rolls

• pizza dough

• anything that already uses yeast

👉 sourdough can replace it completely

If it’s:

• muffins

• pancakes

• banana bread

• cookies

👉 sourdough is just joining the recipe, not running the show

And if you treat those the same way… things get weird fast.

2. How Wet Is This Recipe?

This is where most people accidentally create chaos.

Because your starter is literally flour + water.

So if you just dump it in without adjusting anything?

You’ve now:

• added extra liquid

• added extra flour

• changed the texture completely

And then you’re like:
“Why is this batter acting possessed??”

This is why we balance.

3. Are There Other Leaveners?

If the recipe already has:

• baking soda

• baking powder

You’re not removing those.

Sourdough is not here to replace everything.
It’s here to enhance.

Converting Yeast Recipes

If you’re new to this, start here. This is the easiest win.

Because the structure already exists—you’re just swapping the engine.

What This Actually Looks Like

Let’s say you’ve got a basic bread recipe you love.

It calls for:

• flour

• water

• salt

• yeast

Cool.

We’re removing the yeast and bringing in your starter instead.

The Adjustment (Without Making It Weirdly Complicated)

Here’s what I personally do—and what I’ve built my conversions around:

I add about ½ cup of active sourdough starter.

Then I step back and ask:
”What did I just add?”

Because that ½ cup of starter isn’t neutral.

It’s roughly:

• part flour

• part water

So if I don’t remove those from the recipe, everything gets thrown off.

And that’s where the classic adjustment comes from:

• slightly reducing the flour

• slightly reducing the liquid

Not obsessively. Not perfectly.

Just enough to keep the dough feeling like it’s supposed to.

So What Do You Do?

You lightly pull back on:

• the flour

• the liquid

Not in a hyper-precise, “break out the calculator” way.

Just enough to keep your dough behaving like dough.

And if you want the nerdy breakdown (because I know some of you do):

That ½ cup starter is roughly equal to:

• about ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp flour

• and ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp water

So that’s what you’re removing.

But again—this is a guideline, not a personality trait.

The Part That Actually Matters (And No One Explains Well)

You are not baking the measuring cups.

You are baking the dough.

So when you mix everything together, ask:

• Does this feel like a dough I can work with?

• Is it sticky but manageable?

• Is it holding together?

If yes → you’re good.
If not → adjust.

That’s the skill.

Rise Time (aka why you think you failed when you didn’t)

This is where people spiral.

Because you’re used to dough doing its thing in like… an hour.

Sourdough said:
“lol no”

Now it’s:

• 4 hours

• 6 hours

• sometimes longer

And suddenly you’re staring at it like:
“Did I ruin it?”

No.

It’s just not on a commercial yeast timeline.

What You Actually Watch Instead

Stop obsessing over time and look at:

• has it expanded?

• do you see bubbles?

• does it feel airy instead of dense?

That’s your signal.

Not the clock.

Converting Non-Yeast Recipes

This is where things get a little less exact—and a little more flexible.

Because these recipes were never built around fermentation.

Think:

• pancakes

• muffins

• banana bread

• waffles

• crepes

These recipes don’t rely on yeast for structure, so sourdough plays a different role.

What Sourdough Is Doing Here

It’s not replacing anything.

It’s:

• adding flavor

• adding depth

• giving you that subtle tang

• making things a little more interesting

That’s it.

What You Actually Do

You add some starter.

Usually around ½ cup.

And then you look at your batter like a normal human being.

If it suddenly feels:

• too thin → add a bit of flour

• too thick → add a splash of liquid

That’s the whole process.

No equations. No stress.

For many recipes, you can:

• add ½ cup starter

• leave everything else the same

Especially if the batter is already fairly wet.

If the batter gets too loose:

Try:

• reduce liquid slightly

• OR add a bit more flour

A good starting point:

• reduce fat (oil/butter) by ~⅓ cup

• increase flour by ~⅓ cup

But this is flexible—watch the consistency.

And Honestly?

Sometimes you won’t need to change anything at all.

And that’s the part people don’t expect.

Your Starter Matters More Than You Think

Not all starters behave the same.

Some are:

• thick and slow

• thin and bubbly

• super active

• a little moody

And yes, that affects your results.

Keep It Simple

If you want consistency:

- stick to a 100% hydration starter
(equal parts flour + water)

It makes conversions way more predictable.

And we like predictable when we’re already experimenting.

Let’s Talk About the Timeline Shift

This is the part people resist the most.

Because sourdough forces you to slow down.

You mix the dough… and then you wait.
You shape it… and then you wait again.

And I know. I KNOW.

You want it to be done faster.

But here’s what’s happening during that time:

• flavor is developing

• structure is building

• the dough is literally becoming better

You’re not waiting for no reason.

You’re letting it do its thing.

🖤 The Reality No One Says Out Loud

Your first few conversions?

They might be a little weird.

• maybe the dough feels off

• maybe the timing is confusing

• maybe the texture surprises you

That’s not failure.

That’s you learning how your starter behaves.

That’s you learning how dough responds.

That’s you becoming someone who can actually adjust things on the fly.

Final Thought (From Me to You)

You do not need to master this before you try it.

You don’t need perfect ratios.
You don’t need to understand everything.
You don’t need to “wait until you’re ready.”

Pick one recipe.

One.

Convert it.
See what happens.
Adjust next time.

That’s how this works.

Let me guess.

You’ve already made your starter (if not, check out our guide here!) —or at least you’ve made peace with the fact that sourdough requires a living jar of flour sludge on your counter—and now you’re staring at the actual bread part wondering why suddenly every recipe online sounds like it was written for people who already own six bannetons, three bread lames, and a deeply personal relationship with fermentation.

I get it.

Because this is the part where a lot of beginners hit the wall.

Not because sourdough bread is impossible.
Not because you’re incapable.
And not because you “just don’t get bread.”

It’s because most beginner sourdough recipes leave out the part you actually need most: understanding what’s happening and what to look for at each stage.

They’ll tell you to bulk ferment.
They’ll tell you to shape.
They’ll tell you to score and bake.

But they don’t always tell you what the dough should feel like, what “ready” actually looks like, why your loaf spread instead of rising, or why your timing looks nothing like someone else’s on Instagram.

So this guide is here to fix that.

This is the sourdough bread guide I would hand a beginner if I wanted them to succeed as quickly as possible without stripping away the real understanding that makes sourdough click. We’re keeping it practical, clear, detailed, and grounded in what actually matters: a good starter, good dough handling, good fermentation, and realistic expectations.

And if you’re at the end of your rope and thinking, “I just want to make good bread already,” you’re in the right place.

Welcome to the journey.

What makes this recipe a good beginner loaf

There are a million sourdough bread recipes out there. Some are beautiful. Some are chaotic. Some are unnecessarily complicated. Some are written in a way that makes a beginner feel like they should already know what fifty specialty terms mean before they’re even allowed near a bowl of flour.

This recipe is different because it keeps the process approachable without giving you a bland or underwhelming result.

Here’s what sets it apart:

• one bowl

• five ingredients

• no stand mixer

• no bread machine

• olive oil for a soft, plush crumb and crisp golden crust

• a flexible baking schedule that works better for real life than rigid bakery formulas

That matters.

Because when you’re new, you do not need more complexity for the sake of complexity. You need a loaf that teaches you the rhythm of sourdough while still giving you something beautiful, golden, crusty, and deeply satisfying at the end.

This one does that.

Before you mix a single gram of flour

Before we talk dough, we need to talk starter.

Because if your starter is weak, sleepy, underfed, or not actually active yet, the rest of this process becomes dramatically harder than it needs to be.

Your starter is what leavens the dough. It is the engine behind the rise. And when I say it needs to be “ready,” I do not mean “I fed it recently and it seems fine.” I mean it should be bubbly, active, and ideally doubled in size before you mix your dough. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the strength of your culture, that can take anywhere from 2 to 12 hours or more after feeding. If you’re unsure, the float test can help: drop a teaspoon of starter into water, and if it floats at peak height, it’s ready to use. If it sinks, feed it again.

That part is non-negotiable.

A weak starter makes weak dough.
Weak dough makes disappointing bread.

So before you do anything else, make sure your starter is actually where it needs to be.

Quick reminder: how to feed your starter before baking

To prep your starter for bread, remove and discard half, then feed what remains with equal parts flour and water by weight using a 1:1:1 feeding ratio. Let it rise at room temperature until bubbly, active, and doubled in size. Warm kitchens move faster. Cool kitchens move slower. Plan ahead.

If you need help, check out our previous starter guide here.

MBS Tip: The number one beginner mistake before baking is assuming “fed recently” and “ready to bake with” mean the same thing. They don’t. Use it at peak activity, not whenever it’s convenient.

The ingredients, and why each one matters

For this loaf, you’ll need:

• 150g bubbly, active sourdough starter

• 250g warm water

• 25g olive oil (I use avocado oil!)

• 500g bread flour

• 10g fine sea salt

• cornmeal or parchment for the baking pot

Five ingredients. That’s it.

But because sourdough is simple, each ingredient matters more.

Bread flour

This recipe is designed around bread flour, not all-purpose flour. That matters because bread flour gives you more protein, more strength, and better structure. It supports a beginner loaf beautifully and helps build the kind of dough that is easier to shape and better able to hold itself up in the oven.

Water

The base recipe uses 250g water, which creates a more manageable dough. The source notes that you can increase the water to 300–325g for a softer, more pliable dough, but that wetter dough will also be stretchier, looser, and harder for a beginner to handle.

So here is my advice as your sourdough guide: start with the lower water amount first. Success matters more than chasing an ultra-open crumb on your very first loaf.

Olive oil

This is one of the recipe’s signature details, and it’s a good one. The olive oil contributes to a soft, plush crumb and a crisp golden crust. It gives the loaf a more approachable texture than some ultra-rustic sourdough formulas, which can feel almost aggressively chewy for beginners. If you don’t want to use seed oil, that’s okay too! I use avocado oil with success.

Salt

Salt strengthens the dough, improves flavor, and helps regulate fermentation. It is not optional. I say that because someone always thinks they’ll remember to add it later.

You won’t.

Add it when you mix the dough.

The equipment you actually need

You do not need an artisan bread shrine in your kitchen.

But a few tools will make your life easier:

• large mixing bowl

• digital kitchen scale

• fork or dough whisk

• bench scraper, if you have one

• parchment paper or cornmeal

• a 5 1/2 to 6 quart Dutch oven

• cooling rack

• digital thermometer, optional but helpful

And yes, the Dutch oven deserves special attention. We’ll come back to that when we get to baking, because it is doing important work beyond just looking aesthetic on your stove.

Step 1: Mix the dough

Start by adding the water, active sourdough starter, and olive oil to a large bowl. Whisk well so the starter dissolves as fully as possible. Then add the bread flour and salt. Continue mixing until the flour is fully absorbed. The dough will look rough and shaggy, which is exactly what it should look like at this stage. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour. After that, shape it into a rough ball. It does not need to look smooth or perfect.

This is where I want beginners to stop overjudging the dough.

Early dough is not polished. It is not smooth and elegant and camera-ready. It is usually a little awkward-looking, a little lumpy, and visibly unfinished.

That is not a problem.
That is simply the beginning.

Why this first rest matters

This resting phase is called the autolyse, and it is one of the most useful low-effort parts of the process. Autolyse jumpstarts gluten development without kneading, helping the dough become stronger, stretchier, and easier to shape later. The source recommends at least 30–45 minutes, and up to an hour for an even softer, more manageable dough.

You will see the difference.

A dough that has been allowed to rest properly becomes easier to work with, easier to fold, and more cooperative overall. I do not skip this step, and I do not recommend beginners skip it either.

MBS Tip: If you ever feel tempted to skip the autolyse because you’re impatient, remind yourself that sourdough punishes rushing and rewards rest. Let the dough do some of the work for you.

A quick note on salt

Some bakers prefer to add salt after autolyse, believing it slows gluten development. While that method is common, it also works perfectly well to mix everything at once, which is simpler and faster—and reduces the chance of forgetting the salt later.

As someone teaching beginners, I’m going to say this lovingly: simple wins here.

Mix it all together. Move on.

Want to add mix-ins?

Yes, you can eventually add things like roasted garlic, olives, herbs, cheese, dried fruit, jalapeños, seeds, or nuts. The source recommends adding inclusions after autolyse, once the dough is softer and more pliable, or during the first stretch and fold.

But if this is your first loaf, go plain.

That is not us being boring. That is us being smart.

When you’re learning sourdough, you want to understand what the dough itself is doing first. Once you know how a plain loaf behaves, then you start tossing in cheddar and jalapeños and making dramatic life choices.

Step 2: Bulk rise

The first rise, and the stage most beginners misread

Once the dough is mixed and rested, it needs to rise.

Cover the bowl with lightly oiled wrap or transfer the dough to a dough tub. Let it rise at room temperature until it is puffy, slightly domed, and nearly doubled in size. Depending on your kitchen, your starter, and the season, this can take anywhere from 3 to 12 hours. The example timing given in the source is about 2–4 hours at 80°F and 10–12 hours at 68°F.

This is where I need you to hear me clearly:

Watch the dough, not the clock.

That phrase gets repeated constantly in sourdough circles because it is true. Temperature controls time. A warm kitchen and an active starter can move dough along quickly. A cool kitchen slows everything down. Your dough is not wrong because it doesn’t match someone else’s timeline.

It is simply responding to your environment.

What bulk rise should look like

By the end of bulk fermentation, your dough should no longer look dense and heavy. It should look fuller, slightly aerated, and alive. It may not be a dramatic doubling in a cold kitchen, but it should show visible signs of fermentation and movement.

If it still looks tight, flat, and inert, it probably needs more time.

If it looks extremely slack, overinflated, and fragile, it may have gone a little too far.

This is where sourdough begins asking you to observe instead of blindly obey.

Why bulk fermentation matters so much

Bulk fermentation is one of the most important stages in the entire loaf.

A lot of problems people blame on shaping, scoring, or baking actually begin here.

If the dough is under-fermented, you often get:

• dense crumb

• poor rise

• tight interior

• less flavor

• a loaf that feels heavy no matter how beautifully you bake it

If the dough goes too far, you can end up with:

• weaker structure

• a dough that feels too loose

• a flatter loaf

• shaping that feels frustrating because the dough won’t hold itself

So when I say bulk rise matters more than people think, I mean it. This is the stage where the dough develops flavor, structure, and internal gas retention. It is not just “waiting around in a bowl.”

It is becoming bread.

Optional but helpful: stretch and fold

About 30 minutes into the bulk rise, you can perform a series of stretch and folds to strengthen the dough. The source suggests 1–3 total sets, with additional sets spaced about an hour apart. This step is optional, but it can add height and structure to the finished loaf.

Here’s how it works:

• wet or lightly flour your hands if needed

• grab one side of the dough

• stretch it upward

• fold it over the center

• rotate the bowl a quarter turn

• repeat until you’ve gone all the way around

That is one set.

Stretch and folds help align the gluten, strengthen the dough, and build the kind of structure that supports better oven spring later.

What it should feel like

At the lower water amount, the dough will feel a little stiffer. At higher hydration, it will feel stretchier and more elastic. If the dough resists stretching, give it more time to rest before trying again.

Do not yank on it like you’re trying to prove something.

Dough strength comes from rhythm and patience, not aggression.

MBS Tip: Stretch and folds are not a punishment. They’re just a little strengthening session for the dough. Think “gentle structure,” not “fight club in a mixing bowl.”

Step 3: Shape the dough

Once the bulk rise is complete, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

If you are making one loaf, keep it whole. If you are making two smaller loaves, divide it.

To shape a round loaf, start at the top and fold the dough inward toward the center. Rotate slightly and repeat all the way around until you’ve created a round form. Then flip it seam-side down and gently cup and rotate it to tighten the outer surface. The goal is to create surface tension.

This is the part beginners often think is just cosmetic.

It’s not.

Shaping creates the external tension that helps the loaf rise upward instead of spreading outward. A well-shaped dough ball supports better oven spring and a more attractive final loaf.

A very important flour note

Too much flour on the counter can make shaping harder because the dough slides around instead of gripping the surface enough to tighten. Use enough flour to prevent sticking, but not so much that the dough becomes impossible to tension.

And yes, shaping feels weird at first

That’s normal.

A lot of beginners get nervous here because it feels like this is the one shot to get it “right.” The source includes a tip I genuinely love: practicing the shaping motion with Play-Doh or even a kitchen towel.

That may sound silly, but it’s actually brilliant.

Because shaping is a physical skill.
You learn it by motion.
Not by worrying harder.

Step 4: Choose the right baking pot

If you want bakery-style results at home, bake in a Dutch oven.

Why? Because the Dutch oven traps steam, and steam is what allows your loaf to expand properly before the crust sets. Without enough steam, the crust can harden too quickly, which can cause splitting, poor rise, or uneven baking.

This is one of the major reasons Dutch oven baking is so popular for sourdough. It creates a humid micro-environment around the loaf during the first part of the bake, and that gives you:

• better oven spring

• better bloom

• better crust development

• more reliable results

If you don’t have a Dutch oven

You can use another oven-safe pot with a lid, as long as it can withstand 450°F, including the lid and handles.

• enamel roasting pan with lid

• cast iron skillet with an inverted pan to cover

• covered loaf pans

• clay baker

• baking stone with a metal bowl over top

So no, a Dutch oven is not the only option. But it is one of the easiest and most reliable for beginners.

Step 5: Second rise

Also called proofing

Once the dough is shaped, it needs to rise again.

If you’re using the lower-hydration version of this recipe, you can line your Dutch oven with parchment or dust it with cornmeal and place the dough directly inside. Let it rise for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, until it looks visibly puffy and no longer feels dense. It does not need to double in size. While it proofs, preheat your oven to 450°F / 232°C.

That last point matters.

Beginners often assume every rise in bread needs to fully double. This second rise doesn’t. You’re looking for a dough that has relaxed slightly, puffed up a bit, and feels ready for the oven—not a loaf that has fully ballooned and exhausted itself.

If your dough has more water

If you increase the water beyond 250g, the source recommends skipping the free-form rise in the Dutch oven because the dough will spread. In that case, proof in a floured, cloth-lined bowl or banneton to help the dough hold its shape.

This is another reason I prefer teaching beginners with the lower hydration first. More water can produce lovely bread, but it also adds more handling complexity.

And beginner sourdough does not need extra drama.

MBS Tip: If your dough keeps spreading like it’s trying to become focaccia, that’s your sign to either reduce hydration next time or give it more support during proofing.

Step 6: Score the dough

Right before baking, score the top of the loaf with a shallow cut, about 2–3 inches long and roughly 1/4-inch deep. Use a bread lame, razor, or sharp knife. This score allows steam to escape and gives the bread room to bloom in the oven.

Scoring is functional first and decorative second.

You are telling the loaf where to expand.

Without that score, the pressure inside may force the bread to burst somewhere else, usually in a less flattering and less controlled way.

The emotional truth about scoring

Yes, it is nerve-racking at first.

You’ve spent all this time fermenting, folding, shaping, and proofing this dough, and now someone is telling you to slash it with a blade right before it goes into the oven.

Rude.

But necessary.

The best advice in the source is also the best advice I can give you: “Slash with panache.”

Be quick. Be confident. Do not timidly scratch at it like you’re apologizing.

Step 7: Bake the bread

Once scored, place the loaf in the oven on the center rack. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and continue baking uncovered for another 40 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown. The internal temperature should be 205–210°F / 96–98°C when done.

Covered baking gives you steam.
Uncovered baking gives you color and crust.

That two-stage bake is what creates the final texture you want.

Want an even crisper crust?

• crack the oven door during the last 10 minutes to let moisture escape

• or remove the bread from the Dutch oven and finish directly on the oven rack for the crispiest result

Both are worthwhile if you prefer a crust with more snap and less softness.

Step 8: Cool before slicing

I know. I know.

Once the loaf comes out of the oven, remove it from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing. If you cut into it too soon, the crumb can turn gummy or damp.

This is one of the hardest parts because the bread smells incredible, you’ve waited forever, and now someone is telling you to wait longer.

But yes, you need to wait.

The loaf is still setting internally as it cools. Slice too early, and you interrupt that process. Then people blame the recipe, the flour, the starter, the moon cycle—when really the issue was impatience.

Do not sabotage a good loaf in the final hour.

A practical sourdough baking schedule

One of the strengths of this method is that it works well with a flexible schedule.

Friday evening: feed the starter and leave it on the counter overnight. If it normally lives in the fridge, it may need two feedings to perk back up.
Saturday morning: if the starter is active and bubbly, make the dough for a daytime rise. Or feed again later and mix the dough in the evening for an overnight rise.
Saturday day or evening: bulk rise at room temperature. If the dough rises too quickly in warm weather and you’re not ready, cover and chill it until you are.
Sunday morning: shape, proof, score, bake, cool, eat.

That’s a very manageable weekend structure, and for most beginners, I think that’s the best place to start. It gives you time to observe the dough without trying to squeeze sourdough into random corners of an already chaotic weekday.

Troubleshooting: what’s probably going wrong, and what it usually means.

Because no matter how good the guide is, the real moment of truth is often, “Okay… but why did my loaf do that?”

My dough didn’t rise much

Usually one of the following:

• your starter wasn’t active enough

• your kitchen was too cool

• the bulk rise was cut short

• the dough simply needed more time

Remember: temperature controls time. A cooler kitchen can turn a “quick” rise into an all-day event.

My dough feels stiff and hard to stretch

That can be normal with the lower water amount in this formula. The source notes that dough made with 250g water will feel stiffer, while dough made with 300–325g water will feel more stretchy and elastic.

Stiff does not automatically mean wrong.

My dough spread out instead of holding shape

Usually that points to one or more of these:

• dough was too wet for your skill level

• shaping did not build enough surface tension

• second rise needed more support, like a bowl or banneton

• the dough may have fermented a little too far

My loaf is dense

The most common causes:

• weak starter

• under-fermentation

• not enough bulk rise

• dough wasn’t developed enough

• sometimes cutting too many corners all at once

Dense bread usually starts long before the oven.

My crust is pale

Could be:

• the loaf needed more uncovered time

• your oven runs cool

• there wasn’t enough heat retention

• steam stage may have been less effective than needed

My crumb is gummy

Usually one of the big three:

• sliced too soon

• underbaked

• under-fermented

And yes, sometimes it’s a combination of all three, which feels personally offensive but is fixable.

My loaf burst in a weird place

That usually means:

• the score wasn’t deep enough

• the dough found its own weak spot to expand through

• occasionally the crust set too quickly and the pressure forced its way out elsewhere

My timing looked nothing like the recipe

That is normal.

Your kitchen is not my kitchen. Your starter is not my starter. Your room temperature, flour, and seasonal conditions are all part of the equation. The source explicitly emphasizes that this variability is one of the biggest things beginners overlook.

Which is why I will say it again:

Watch the dough, not the clock.

MBS Tip: If your loaf didn’t come out perfect, that doesn’t mean you failed. It means you just collected your first real batch of bread data.

Final Thoughts

There are so many sourdough bread recipes out there, and no two loaves ever look exactly alike. That’s part of the beauty of it, but it’s also exactly what makes beginners feel like they’re somehow already behind before they begin.

You’re not behind.

You’re learning a living process.

And that means your first loaf does not need to be flawless to be successful. It needs to teach you something.

Maybe your first loaf teaches you that your kitchen runs cold.
Maybe it teaches you that your starter needs more time after feeding.
Maybe it teaches you that shaping matters more than you thought.
Maybe it teaches you that cutting into hot bread is a terrible character flaw.

All useful information.

Because sourdough is not really about mastering one recipe one time. It’s about learning how fermentation behaves in your kitchen, with your flour, with your starter, on your schedule, until the process begins to feel intuitive.

That’s when the shift happens.

That’s when it stops feeling like a complicated bread project and starts feeling like a rhythm you know how to move with.

And once you get a few loaves under your belt, it really does become that. The source describes it as an intuitive rhythm after a few loaves, and I think that’s exactly right.

So if your loaf isn’t perfect the first time, breathe.

If it’s a little denser than you wanted, breathe.

If the score went wonky, the shape spread a little, or the crumb wasn’t your dream crumb yet, breathe.

You are not failing.

You are becoming someone who knows how to bake sourdough bread.

And that is a very different thing.

Let’s begin with the most important truth of all:

If you want to bake sourdough bread, you need a sourdough starter.

Not optional.
Not “sort of helpful.”
Not one of those ingredients you can skip and hope the vibes carry you through.

Your starter is the entire engine behind sourdough. It is the rise. It is the fermentation. It is the thing that makes sourdough actually sourdough.

Without it, your loaf is not going anywhere.

And I know this part can feel weird and a little intimidating at first because the internet has a way of making sourdough feel like some elite little baking cult where everyone names their starter, uses twenty-seven specialty tools, and casually says things like “my levain was sluggish this morning” as if that is a normal sentence.

But underneath all the romance and drama, a sourdough starter is actually very simple.

You are mixing flour and water together and then feeding that mixture regularly so the natural wild yeast and beneficial bacteria can grow strong enough to make bread rise. That’s the whole thing. Yes, there’s nuance. Yes, there’s a learning curve. But no, this is not too hard for you.

This is one of those baking things that sounds more complicated than it is.

And once it clicks, it really clicks.

WHAT A SOURDOUGH STARTER ACTUALLY IS

A sourdough starter is a live fermented culture made from just flour and water. Inside that jar, wild yeast and bacteria from the environment begin to develop and multiply, creating a living mixture that can leaven bread without any commercial yeast at all.

That’s the magical part.

You are not adding packaged yeast.

You are not dumping in some hidden special ingredient.

You are cultivating what is already naturally present — in the flour, in the air, on your hands, in your kitchen environment. It sounds a little feral, and honestly, it is. That’s part of the charm.

This is why sourdough feels different from regular bread baking.

You are not just following a recipe. You are learning how to care for a living culture.

And that is exactly why people get attached to their starters like they are tiny flour-based pets with emotional needs and strong opinions.

Because… kind of.

HOW LONG IT REALLY TAKES

Now let’s kill the fantasy before it kills your motivation.

A sourdough starter does not come together in one day. It does not magically become a perfect bread-raising powerhouse overnight. The process usually takes about 7 days or more, and it can absolutely take 2 weeks or longer for a truly strong, dependable starter to fully establish itself, especially if your kitchen runs cool. Temperature matters a lot here.

So if you’re on Day 5 thinking, “This thing is lazy, ugly, and personally disrespecting me,” that does not mean it failed.

It usually means you’re still in the normal development stage.

That’s one of the biggest mindset shifts with sourdough:

You cannot rush fermentation just because you want bread now.

You are working with biology, not a box mix.

WHEN YOUR STARTER IS READY TO USE

A mature starter should be doing a few specific things:

It should be doubling in size, showing plenty of bubbles, and the texture should feel spongy, fluffy, and airy rather than dense and lifeless. It should also smell pleasantly tangy, not aggressively foul. One of the descriptions in your source compares the texture to roasted marshmallows, which is honestly weirdly accurate.

There is also the float test: feed the starter, wait until it doubles, then drop a teaspoon into water. If it floats, that’s a good sign it’s active enough to use.

That said, I want to say something important here in plain English:

Do not obsess over a single sign. I know, easier said than done.

A ready starter is usually not about one dramatic moment. It’s about a pattern. It rises predictably. It gets bubbly. It smells healthy. It behaves like a living starter and not like wet paste sitting in a jar pretending to participate.

That consistency matters more than one lucky float test.

IS IT HARD?

Honestly? No.

It is more mentally intimidating than physically difficult.

Because what you are actually doing each day is very basic:

• mix flour and water

• wait

• discard some

• feed it again

• repeat

The hard part is not the labor.

The hard part is the uncertainty.

It’s the part where you stare at the jar and think:
“Are these bubbles normal?”
“Why did it rise yesterday and not today?”
“Why does it smell like feet?”
“Did I ruin it?”
“Why is the internet telling me twelve different things?”

That’s why the best thing you can do at the beginning is not overcomplicate it.

Follow one method. Stay consistent. Let the starter develop.

Do not go wandering into twelve sourdough forums halfway through Day 3 and decide to reinvent your process because one stranger in a comment section said their grandmother only feeds rye flour under a full moon.

Stay the course.

WHAT YOU NEED

Let’s make this painfully simple.

Supplies

You’ll want:

• a large jar, around 3/4 liter size or something similar (I use this one)

• a digital scale

• a fork or small spatula

• a rubber band or piece of tape to mark the rise on the jar

The scale is especially helpful because this guide is built around weight, and that matters.

Ingredients

To begin the starter on Day 1:

• 60g whole wheat flour

• 60g water

For the daily feedings after that:

• 60g unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour

• 60g water

That’s it.

No commercial yeast.
No sugar.
No honey.
No pineapple juice nonsense.
Just flour and water.

FLOUR CHOICES: WHAT TO USE AND WHY

The process begins with whole wheat flour to jumpstart fermentation, then switches to all-purpose or bread flour for ongoing feedings because it’s practical, inexpensive, and works well for everyday baking.

Why?

Whole wheat flour tends to be more microbially active and can help get things moving faster in the beginning. It gives your starter a stronger little kickstart. Then once activity starts building, switching to all-purpose or bread flour makes ongoing care more affordable and straightforward.

Can you use other flours?
Of course!

• all-purpose only: yes, but it may take longer

• bread flour only: yes, but it may need more water because it’s thirstier

• whole wheat, spelt, or rye only: yes, but again, you may need to adjust hydration if it gets too thick

• bleached flour: technically possible, but not recommended because it can interfere with fermentation

So for a beginner, the easiest low-drama route is:
whole wheat on Day 1, then unbleached AP or bread flour after that.

A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT WATER

Use water that is:

• clean

• not scorching hot

• not ice cold

• ideally mildly warm or room temp (around 85°F)

If your tap water smells strongly of chlorine, filtered is safer.

You don’t need to become a water chemist. You just don’t want water that is either extremely cold or so chemically aggressive that it makes fermentation harder.

WHY THE CUP MEASUREMENTS LOOK “WRONG”

This trips people up constantly, so let’s slow it all the way down.

You’ll see the feedings listed like this:

• 60g flour = about 1/2 cup

• 60g water = about 1/4 cup

And people immediately go:
“Wait. That’s not equal.”

By volume, no.
By weight, yes.

That’s the point.

The guide is very clear that “equal parts” refers to equal weights, not equal cup measurements. Flour is lighter and fluffier, so it takes up more space in a measuring cup. Water is denser, so it weighs more in less space. That is why the cup measurements look uneven even when the grams are the same.

This is one of the first places beginner bakers start doubting themselves, so let me save you the spiral:

It is not a typo.
Your eyes are not broken.
Bread baking just likes weights more than cups because weights are more consistent.

If you have a scale, use it.

TEMPERATURE: THE THING PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE

If sourdough starters had a love language, it would be stable warmth.

The sweet spot is around 70–75°F, with 75°F being ideal. Cold temperature is one of the most common reasons a starter seems stalled or inactive.

This matters more than people realize.

Because if your kitchen is chilly, your starter may look slow, weak, inconsistent, or completely unimpressive even if nothing is technically wrong.

Helpful warm spots from your source include:

• an off oven with the light on for a short period

• a proofing box

• a microwave with the door cracked and the light on

• another warm, stable area in the kitchen

And the warning attached to the oven-light trick is important too: do not just abandon it in there forever. That environment can become too warm.

So the goal is not “hot.”
The goal is “consistently comfortably warm.”

That distinction matters.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: SET A FEEDING SCHEDULE

One of the best things you can do in sourdough baking is establish a feeding schedule and feed the starter at roughly the same time every day. That consistency helps your starter rise and fall more predictably, which is exactly what you want.

This matters because sourdough loves routine. (Ew, I know.)

A starter that gets fed at random hours whenever you vaguely remember it exists is still capable of living, but it will be harder to read and harder to learn from.

So for beginners, pick a time you can actually stick to.

Morning is a great option.

Feed it when you wake up. Mark the jar. Check in later.

That rhythm makes life easier.

DAY-BY-DAY GUIDE

Now let’s turn your pasted instructions into an actual cohesive walkthrough.

DAY 1: MAKE THE STARTER

Combine:

• 60g whole wheat flour

• 60g water

Mix until smooth. It will be thick, pasty, and not especially glamorous. That’s normal. Cover the jar and let it sit in a warm place for 24 hours. Total yield: about 120g starter.

What to expect

Do not expect fireworks.
Do not expect your jar to become a bubbling cauldron in three hours.

This day is really just the setup phase.

You are creating the environment and letting fermentation begin.

DAY 2: CHECK FOR BUBBLES

Take a look at the surface.

Maybe you’ll see tiny bubbles. Maybe you won’t. Maybe something happened overnight and now it looks calm again. All of that is within the normal range. The guide notes that bubbles can appear and dissolve while you’re sleeping. You can stir once or twice if you want to oxygenate the mixture, but otherwise, you leave it alone for another 24 hours.

What this means in real life?

Day 2 is often where beginner anxiety starts.

People assume no bubbles means no life.

Not true.

Fermentation is not always dramatic yet. Sometimes it’s subtle. Sometimes it happens when you’re not looking. Sometimes the environment is just a little cooler and slower.

So Day 2 is less about “judging success” and more about “checking in without panicking.”

DAY 3: FIRST FEEDING

Now you begin the actual feeding routine.

Remove and discard half of the starter, about 60g. Then add:

• 60g all-purpose flour

• 60g water

Mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the jar. At this point, the texture should resemble thick pancake batter or plain yogurt. Cover and let it rest in a warm spot for 24 hours. Total yield: about 180g.

Why the discard matters

Because if you just keep adding flour and water forever without removing anything, you’ll end up with a monstrous amount of starter that becomes increasingly inefficient to feed.

Discarding keeps the culture at a manageable size and helps refresh the yeast and bacteria with new food.

It is not waste for the sake of waste.
It is maintenance.

DAY 4: SECOND FEEDING

Discard half again, about 90g, and feed with:

• 60g flour

• 60g water

Mix, scrape the sides, cover, and rest another 24 hours. Total yield: about 210g.

Important note: the “false start”

Days 3–4 often look slower than Days 1–2 once you switch from whole wheat to AP or bread flour. This is normal and is often described as a “false start.” The starter needs time to adjust, and growth is still happening even if it looks less impressive for a bit.

This is such a crucial beginner note because this is the exact point where a lot of people assume they ruined everything.

You probably didn’t.

You are just in the awkward middle stage where the starter is recalibrating.

Which, honestly, is very on brand for sourdough.

DAY 5: THIRD FEEDING

Discard half, about 105g, then feed with:

• 60g flour

• 60g water

Mix well and let it rest 24 hours. Total yield: about 225g.

What you may notice

At this point, you may begin seeing more regular bubbling, some rise, and clearer texture changes. Or maybe not as much as you hoped.

That’s still okay.

The process is cumulative.

DAY 6: FOURTH FEEDING

Discard half, about 112g, then feed with:

• 60g flour

• 60g water

Mix, scrape down the sides, and let rest 24 hours. Total yield: about 232.5g.

The jar should start telling a story

This is where that rubber band or tape line becomes useful.

Even if you miss the peak rise, you may start seeing streaks on the inside of the jar where the starter climbed and then fell back down. That matters. It shows you the starter is becoming more active and behaving like an actual fermenting culture.

DAY 7: FIFTH FEEDING

Discard half, about 116.25g, then feed with:

• 60g flour

• 60g water

Mix well, scrape the sides, cover, and rest another 24 hours. Total yield: about 236g.

By now…

You are getting close.

This is where the starter may start looking much more like what people imagine when they think of sourdough starter:
bubbly, airy, growing with more confidence.

But again, don’t lock yourself into a dramatic “it must be ready on Day 7” mindset.

That number is a guideline, not a moral test.

DAY 8 AND BEYOND: YOUR STARTER SHOULD BE BORN… OR CLOSE TO IT

By this stage, your starter should ideally have doubled in size, show plenty of large and small bubbles, feel spongy and fluffy, and smell pleasant rather than foul. If that’s what you’re seeing, it’s active and ready to use.

If not, keep going.

It is common for a starter not to be ready yet because of cold temperatures, timing issues, or other factors, and that continuing for another 1–2 weeks can be completely normal.

So if you need to hear this plainly:

A slower starter is not a failed starter.

WHAT “NORMAL” LOOKS LIKE WHILE IT’S DEVELOPING

This is the section beginner bakers actually need, because half the battle is understanding what is weird-normal versus actually concerning.

Small bubbles

Good sign. Fermentation is happening.

No visible bubbles one morning

Still not necessarily a problem. You may have missed the visible activity window.

Stretchy, gooey texture on discard day

Normal and expected around Day 3.

Thick batter / yogurt texture after feeding

Normal.

A slowdown around Days 3–4

Normal false start. Do not panic.

A dark liquid on top

This is hooch, and it usually means your starter is hungry. Remove it and feed the starter. It may smell sharp, alcoholic, or gross. That alone does not mean the starter is ruined.

LET’S TALK ABOUT HOOCH, BECAUSE PEOPLE ALWAYS FREAK OUT

Hooch is that darkish liquid that can develop on top or within the starter during the creation process or later on after it’s established. It has a smell similar to rubbing alcohol or gym socks and is a sign the starter needs to be fed.

If your starter smells rude and looks a little questionable, that does not automatically mean it’s dead.

Sometimes it just means it’s hungry and neglected and being dramatic about it.

And honestly? Same.

IF YOUR STARTER ISN’T READY AFTER 7 DAYS

If the starter is not ready after 7+ days:

• feed it every 8–12 hours instead of every 24

• continue the same formula: discard half, then add 60g flour and 60g water

• keep it at 70–75°F

• if it’s too runny, add 1–2 tablespoons more flour

• remember that cold temperature is the most common reason it’s not taking off properly

Usually, the fix is not “trash it.”
Usually, the fix is “feed consistently and warm it up.”

DISCARD: SHOULD YOU USE IT EARLY ON?

During Days 1–7, the discard is usually not recommended for use because it can be smelly and discolored or have a wonky pH that can upset your stomach. Once the starter is established, though, the discard becomes much more usable and stable. The note also says that if it looks good, some people do choose to use it, and you can even use discard to start a separate starter if you want.

My practical take?

Early discard is not where I’d tell a beginner to get creative.

Not because it’s illegal, cursed, or personally offensive.
Just because at that stage the culture is still unstable and often unpleasant.

Once your starter is mature, though, discard becomes a whole other world:
pancakes, crackers, waffles, biscuits, muffins, flatbreads, and all kinds of delicious low-stakes sourdough-adjacent recipes.

But in the beginning? Focus on getting the starter established first.

One thing at a time.

HOW TO KNOW IF THE TEXTURE IS “RIGHT”

Day 1 texture

Thick and pasty. Kind of like wet clay meets peanut butter meets regret. This is normal.

After feedings begin

More like thick pancake batter or plain yogurt. Stirrable, cohesive, not watery.

Mature starter texture

Spongy, fluffy, airy, almost marshmallow-like inside when fully active.

If yours is absurdly thin and pourable, it may be overhydrated and could use a bit more flour.
If it is so dense it feels like bread dough, it may need slightly more water.

You are aiming for a thick but stirrable starter, not soup and not cement.

FEEDING SCHEDULES AFTER YOUR STARTER IS ESTABLISHED

Once your starter is active and healthy, care depends on how often you bake.

If you bake often

Store it at room temperature and feed it 1–2 times a day, depending on how quickly it rises and falls. This keeps it active and ready faster.

If you bake occasionally

Store it in the fridge and feed it about once a week to maintain strength. You can feed it cold and put it right back in the fridge; you do not need to bring it to room temperature first just to feed it. Then when you’re ready to bake, feed it at room temperature as needed to wake it back up (usually after an hour or two on the counter, I feed).

This is great news for the normal people in the room.

Because not everyone wants to manage a countertop jar like it’s a full-time intern.

The fridge method exists for a reason.

DO YOU HAVE TO FEED IT BEFORE MAKING BREAD?

Yes.

You need to feed the starter before making bread dough and in order to maintain it. If your starter is weak, your bread will not rise well.

That is worth repeating in big dramatic letters:

A neglected, weak starter makes sad bread.

If you want good rise, good structure, and predictable dough performance, the starter has to be healthy and active.

COMMON BEGINNER MISTAKES

Let’s round up the quiet little sabotage moves that happen all the time.

1. Giving up too soon

A lot of starters are abandoned in the completely normal awkward stage. If it’s only been a week and your kitchen is cool, that is not enough evidence to call it dead.

2. Keeping it too cold

This is probably the most common issue mentioned in your source, and honestly one of the biggest reasons beginners think they are failing.

3. Inconsistent feeding times

Not fatal, but harder to read and slower to stabilize.

4. Dirty jar sides

Your pasted text specifically recommends scraping down the sides with a small rubber spatula to keep the jar clean and prevent mold from growing up the sides.

5. Obsessing over day-to-day drama

Sourdough is not a one-day report card. You want to watch the trend, not just one isolated moment.

6. Measuring sloppily and then changing systems

Use grams if you can. If not, pick cups and stay consistent. Don’t mix three different measuring philosophies and then blame the starter.

SHOULD YOU MOVE IT TO A CLEAN JAR?

Yes, eventually, but not every five minutes.

Once it’s established, the final step can be transferring it to a nice clean jar — but only if the current one really needs a wash. Otherwise, you can leave it where it is.

That’s sensible.

You do not need to treat jar changes like ceremonial sourdough baptism.

Just keep things reasonably clean and functional.

YES, YOU SHOULD NAME IT

Naming the starter is part of tradition, and honestly I support this deeply.

Because by the time you’ve spent over a week babysitting a jar of flour sludge and cheering because it finally doubled, it has earned a name.

That’s just the rules.

REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR BEGINNERS

Let me put the whole thing in one grounded paragraph:

Your starter may look active on Day 2 and then weird on Day 4. It may smell sharp, then better, then strange again. It may rise a little, fall, and then look like nothing is happening for a day. It may take longer than a week. It may need more warmth than you expected. None of that means you are bad at sourdough. Most of it means you are having an extremely normal sourdough experience. Slower timelines, false starts, and delayed readiness are all common parts of the process.

And I think that matters because beginners don’t need more perfection culture around bread.

They need someone to tell them:
“This stage looks ugly, but ugly can still be progress.”

THE SIMPLEST POSSIBLE VERSION OF THIS WHOLE GUIDE

If we stripped all of this down to its bare bones, it would be:

Start with whole wheat flour and water.
Keep it warm.
Wait.
Discard and feed daily.
Do not panic when it slows down.
Watch for bubbles, rise, and a healthy smell.
If it’s slow, keep feeding and warm it up.
Once it doubles reliably, use it.
Then keep it alive based on how often you bake.

That is the skeleton.

Everything else is just helping you understand what you’re seeing so you don’t quit before it works.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Sourdough is not difficult because the steps are hard.

Sourdough is difficult because it asks you to be patient, observant, and a little less controlling than most recipes do.

It’s not “mix, bake, done.”
It’s “pay attention, stay consistent, and learn what healthy fermentation looks like.”

That’s why sourdough feels different.

And honestly? That’s also why people fall in love with it.

Because when it finally clicks, it stops feeling like some mystical bread wizard nonsense and starts feeling like a skill you actually own.

And that’s a very satisfying shift.

There’s a very specific phase every home baker goes through.

It usually starts with:

“Wait… people actually want to buy this?”

Which is exciting.

And then immediately turns into:

“Okay but… how am I supposed to manage this??”

So you do what feels natural.

You post.
People comment.
You say “DM me!”
You start a list somewhere.

And then, almost instantly:

• you forget someone’s order

• someone ghosts pickup

• someone swears they paid

• you undercharged

• you oversold

…and now your relaxing little baking hobby feels like a group project you didn’t agree to be in.

Let’s fix that.

The shift that changes everything

You are not taking orders on social media.

You are:
👉 creating demand on social media
👉 and collecting orders somewhere structured

That’s it.

That one separation is what takes you from:

“this is chaotic”
to
“this actually works”

Social Media vs. Your Order Platform

Think of it like this:

• Instagram / Facebook → the storefront window

• Your platform → the register

You don’t ring people up through the glass.

So we’re going to stop trying to run a business through DMs.

Let’s talk platforms (and their personalities)

Because yes, they all “take orders”—but they do it in very different ways.

And picking the wrong one for your stage?
That’s where people get frustrated.

Bakesy

(the “please just let me get out of DMs” option)

Bakesy is usually where people land first—and honestly, that makes sense.

It’s simple. It’s clean. It doesn’t ask too much of you.

You set up your menu, choose pickup times, share a link, and suddenly:

you’re not manually tracking 17 conversations anymore

Which, frankly, is a win.

It’s especially good when you’re:

• just starting out

• testing what people even want

• keeping your menu small and manageable

Your customers click, order, pay, done.

No confusion. No chasing people down.

Where it starts to feel… small

Eventually, you might notice:

• you want more control over how things look

• you want more flexibility

• you’re doing more volume than it was really designed for

That’s not Bakesy failing—that’s you growing.

Hotplate

(the “we’re doing a drop and yes, it will sell out” platform)

Hotplate has a different energy.

This isn’t:

“here’s what I have available”

This is:

“this is dropping Thursday at 6pm and when it’s gone, it’s gone”

And that shift?

That’s where things start to get fun.

Hotplate is built for:

• limited menus

• scheduled drops

• controlled quantities

• and just enough pressure to make people actually decide

Instead of people thinking:

“I’ll order later”

They start thinking:

“Wait—how many are left??”

The catch (because there always is one)

You have to be a little more intentional.

You can’t just throw something up and hope for the best.

This works best when you:

• plan your menu

• build anticipation

• show up consistently

But if you do?

This is where “selling out” becomes a regular thing—not a surprise.

Castiron

(the “okay, this is becoming a real business” option)

Castiron is where things shift again.

This is less:

“cute bakery link”

and more:

“I run a business and there’s a system behind it”

It gives you:

• more control

• more structure

• better customer management

• room to grow without outgrowing the platform

If Bakesy is your starting point and Hotplate is your momentum phase—

Castiron is your:
👉 “I’m building something sustainable” phase

But let’s be honest

It can feel like a lot if you’re not there yet.

More setup.
More decisions.
More moving parts.

So if you’re still figuring out:

“Will people even buy from me?”

This might feel like overkill.

And that’s okay.

So which one should you actually choose?

Let’s simplify it:

Just starting, still testing things?

👉 Bakesy

Doing weekly drops, want to sell out?

👉 Hotplate

Scaling, building something long-term?

👉 Castiron

None of these are permanent decisions.

You’re allowed to evolve.

Now—the part everyone skips

You picked a platform.

Great.

Now what?

Because having a platform does not magically bring you orders.

You still need to get people there.

This is your actual system

Say it with me:

👉 Social media builds interest
👉 Your platform collects orders

That’s the flow.

What this looks like in real life

Instead of:

“DM me if you want one!”

You shift to:

“This weekend’s menu is live — link in bio”

Clean. Clear. No back-and-forth.

Your weekly rhythm (steal this)

This is the part that turns chaos into consistency.

Early Week (Mon–Wed)

You’re warming people up.

• testing flavors

• showing behind-the-scenes

• asking opinions

• teasing what might be coming

You’re not selling yet.

You’re planting the idea.

Menu Drop (usually Thurs)

This is your moment.

“Weekend menu is LIVE
Pickup Sat–Sun
Limited quantities
Order here: [link]”

No fluff. No confusion.

Friday

You apply a little pressure (gently… but intentionally)

• “almost sold out”

• “last call”

• “a few boxes left”

This is where people stop thinking and start ordering.

Weekend

You deliver—and document it.

• trays lined up

• frosting going on

• boxes packed

This is where trust gets built.

Why this works (and DMs don’t)

DMs feel casual.

And casual is great for conversation.

Not so great for:

• tracking orders

• collecting payment

• building a repeatable system

When people click a link and order?

It feels real.

It feels legitimate.

It feels like something they trust.

The part that actually drives sales

It’s not the platform.

It’s:

• how your product looks

• how you talk about it

• how you present it

Your platform holds the order.

Your content makes people want it.

Final thoughts:

You don’t need a perfect setup.

You need a clear one.

Right now.

Because once you move from:

“just message me”

to

“here’s how to order”

Everything changes.

You stop chasing people.
You stop guessing.
You stop juggling conversations.

And you start running something that actually works.

But honestly?

That’s when this starts to feel less like a hobby…

…and more like something you could actually build.

Ganache is one of those things that should be easy.

Two ingredients.
One bowl.
Minimal effort.

And yet—somehow—it’s also the thing that has people standing in their kitchens like:

“…why does this look like it’s separating from itself?”

If you’ve ever:

• stared at a greasy-looking ganache

• aggressively stirred it hoping it would “pull itself together”

• or quietly slid it into the fridge like “we’ll deal with this later”

You’re in very good company.

I’ve done all of that.

The difference now is—I know why it happens.

And once you know that?

Ganache stops being unpredictable and starts being one of the most reliable, low-effort upgrades in your baking.

What we’re actually doing here (no, really)

Ganache is just chocolate and cream.

But technically, it’s an emulsion—which is a fancy way of saying:

we are convincing two things that don’t naturally love each other to behave like they do.

Chocolate = fat
Cream = water + fat

They’ll come together beautifully…
if you don’t rush them or shock them into chaos.

So if your ganache has ever gone sideways, it’s usually because:

• the cream was too hot

• you didn’t let it sit long enough

• or you went in mixing like you were late for something

We’re not doing any of that today.

Milk Chocolate Ganache

(soft, sweet, and very easy to get a little too confident with)

This is the one everyone starts with.

It’s friendly. It’s sweet. It feels forgiving.

But it will humble you if you rush it.

What you’ll need

• 480g milk chocolate

• 320g heavy cream (35–38%)

That ratio gives you a ganache that’s soft, smooth, and very willing to be used for basically everything.

What I actually do (and what I wish someone told me sooner)

I heat the cream until it’s juuuuuust steaming.

Not bubbling.
Not simmering.
Not doing anything dramatic.

If it looks like it’s about to start a scene, take it off the heat.

Then I pour it over the chocolate and—this is the part people skip—I leave it alone.

Two full minutes.

Yes, it feels unnecessary.
No, it’s not.

This is where the chocolate melts properly so you don’t end up overmixing later trying to fix uneven melting.

After that, I either:

• use an immersion blender (my preferred method—silky every time), or

• stir gently from the center outward with a silicone spatula

Think small circles. Calm energy. The Bob Ross of baking. We’re not whisking eggs here.

Once it comes together and looks smooth and glossy, I press plastic wrap directly onto the surface.

Not loosely over the bowl.
Right on the surface of the ganache.

Because if you’ve ever peeled off that weird top layer like you’re removing a sticker…you already know why.

Where this one shines

Milk chocolate ganache is your “soft luxury” layer.

I use it when I want something that feels:

• creamy

• smooth

• a little indulgent without being intense

It’s perfect for:

• filling cupcakes (that center bite? elite)

• layering cakes

• gentle drips

• tart fillings

• or warming slightly and pouring over desserts like a sauce

It’s the one people fall in love with first.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

This is where things start to feel more controlled.

Less sugar.
More structure.
Cleaner finish.

What you’ll need

• 350g dark chocolate

• 350g heavy cream

A perfect 1:1 ratio.

Balanced. Reliable. Slightly more serious.

Same method—different attitude

Everything you just did with milk chocolate?

Do it again here.

But this one behaves differently as it cools.

It firms up more.

Which means:

• better piping

• cleaner slices

• less sliding around when layered

This is the ganache I reach for when I want things to hold their shape and look polished without trying too hard and exactly what you see me use in the cookie pie post below.

Where it really earns its place

• cake fillings that need structure

• frosting that doesn’t feel overly sweet

• brownies (honestly, don’t skip this one)

• truffles

• cookie pies

• eclairs, profiteroles, anything that wants a rich filling

• or a slightly warmed drizzle over ice cream when you’re feeling like you deserve something good

🤍 White Chocolate Ganache

(the underestimated one with main character potential)

White chocolate gets a bad reputation for being “too sweet.”

And yes—it is sweet.

But it’s also the most flexible of the three.

This is where flavor really starts to open up.

What you’ll need

• 400g white chocolate

• 200g heavy cream

Less cream, because white chocolate is built differently.

Handle her gently

White chocolate is a little more sensitive, so this is where you really don’t want to overheat your cream.

Everything else stays the same:

• pour

• wait

• blend or stir

• cover

• cool

No shortcuts. Shortcuts never work here.

This is your flavor playground

This is the ganache I use when I want to build something a little more interesting.

Because it takes on flavor beautifully.

You can turn it into:

• vanilla bean

• matcha

• pistachio

• citrus

• coffee

…and it doesn’t fight you for attention.

Flavoring ganache (aka: where you stop being basic)

If you’ve only been making “plain chocolate ganache,” we’re going to gently move past that.

Infusing (quiet, layered flavor)

Gently heat your cream with:

• vanilla bean

• orange peel

• cinnamon

• coffee

Let it steep, strain, then proceed.

This gives you that subtle “what is that?” moment.

Direct additions (louder, intentional flavor)

Add to warm cream:

• espresso powder

• matcha

• cocoa

• freeze-dried fruit powders

Mix-ins (for richness + texture)

After your ganache is smooth, fold in:

• nut pastes (pistachio, hazelnut)

• caramel

This is where things start to feel a little more bakery-level.

The thing no one tells you: it’s all about timing

Ganache is not one consistency.

It evolves.

Right after mixing:

• thin

• glossy

• perfect for drips

Give it time:

• thicker

• spreadable

• ideal for fillings

Chill it:

• firm

• scoopable

• truffle-ready

• whip with a mixer for a fluffier consistency (scoopable and pipeable)

Same recipe. Different moment.

That’s the part that changes everything.

Storage (because yes, you will have leftovers)

• Room temp: a couple of days

• Fridge: about a week

• Freezer: up to 3 months

Don’t forget to press a layer of cling wrap across the surface of the ganache prior to storage. Bring it back to room temp before using.

If it looks a little off:

• warm it gently

• stir or blend

It usually comes right back like nothing happened.

Let’s avoid a few very fixable mistakes

Because I’ve made all of them:

• boiling the cream (we don’t need that energy)

• skipping the rest time (you will regret it)

• overmixing aggressively (goodbye, glossy finish)

• not covering the surface (hello, weird skin)

None of these will ruin your life.

But they will make things harder than they need to be.

Final thought

Ganache is one of those quiet upgrades.

It doesn’t look like much.

But once you start using it properly, everything you make feels:

• richer

• more balanced

• more intentional

And people notice that.

They might not know why.

But they notice.

And that’s kind of the whole point, isn’t it?

There are a lot of cinnamon roll recipes out there that promise to be “the one.”

Some are too lean and dry out by dinner. Some are so rich they’re annoying to mix or knead. Some are beautiful for thirty minutes and then turn into sad little bread pillows the next day.

This one is not that.

This is the dough I’d hand to someone who wants to make really good cinnamon rolls without needing a baking degree, a spreadsheet, and three pre-doughs just to get there. It’s soft, rich, fluffy, and forgiving. It has enough fat to feel luxurious, enough structure to hold a proper swirl, and now—with one very worthwhile little upgrade—better tenderness and better staying power.

That upgrade is potato flakes.

Not enough to make the dough weird. Not enough to turn it gummy. Just enough to quietly improve the texture, keep the crumb softer, and make the rolls feel fresher longer. It’s the sort of ingredient that makes people ask why your rolls are so good, and then get mildly offended when the answer is instant mashed potatoes.

I love that for us.

This is the dough I’d hand you if you said:

“I want cinnamon rolls that feel bakery-level, but I don’t want to overcomplicate my life.”

It’s soft. It’s rich. It’s forgiving. It behaves.

And now—with that one small upgrade—it stays soft longer, reheats better, and honestly just feels more intentional.

Stay with me.

Why this dough works

This recipe sits in a really nice spot between “classic homemade” and “oh wow, these actually taste bakery-level.”

It gets there because of a few key things:

1. Softened butter instead of melted butter

Melted butter is easy, but softened butter gives you a better dough. It incorporates into the dough differently, which helps preserve structure and gives you a softer, lighter final crumb instead of something that leans too bready.

2. A little heavy cream

Cream adds richness, milk solids, and that subtle “this tastes expensive” quality without making the dough complicated. And don’t you DARE pour any over the top of these rolls, they don’t need it!

3. Eggs

Eggs help with richness, color, tenderness, and structure. They’re doing a lot of quiet heavy lifting here.

4. Potato flakes

This is the the secret that rocketed our bakery to one of the tops in our state, and it’s here to stay!

Potato flakes help hold moisture in the dough, which means:

• softer crumb

• better next-day texture

• less drying out

• better reheating

• more forgiveness if you slightly overbake

They don’t make the dough taste like potatoes. They make it taste like you know what you’re doing.

5. All-purpose flour

For this particular dough, all-purpose flour is the move. You do not need bread flour here. Between the butter, cream, eggs, and potato flakes, this dough is already being pushed toward tenderness. Bread flour would tighten it up more than necessary for this easy dough.

The Dough (your new best friend )

This makes about 12 generous rolls.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp (9g) active dry yeast

• ⅓ cup + ½ tsp (70g) granulated sugar, divided

• ½ cup (120g) lukewarm water (~105°F)

• 4¼ cups (510g) all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup (30g) instant potato flakes

• 1 tsp fine salt

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ cup (60g) heavy cream

• ¼ cup (60g) whole milk

• ¾ cup (170g) salted butter, softened (not melted)

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

Cinnamon Filling

• 3/4 cup (170g) salted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar

• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Optional Sugar Syrup

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/4 cup sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened

• 1/4 cup (57g) salted butter, softened

• 1 1/2 cups (180g) powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or cream

Step 1: Wake up the yeast

In a small bowl, combine:

• the lukewarm water

• 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar

• the active dry yeast

Give it a little stir and leave it alone for 5 to 10 minutes.

You want it foamy and alive-looking. If it just sits there looking depressed and flat, your yeast is either dead or your water was too hot or too cool. Don’t try to emotionally support it. Start over.

Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients

In a separate bowl or big measuring cup, whisk together:

• the eggs

• remaining sugar

• milk

• heavy cream

• vanilla

Nothing dramatic here. Just get it nicely combined.

Step 3: Start the dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine:

• flour

• potato flakes

• salt

Add the yeast mixture and the egg mixture.

Mix on low with the dough hook until everything starts to come together. At this stage it will look shaggy, rough, and not especially impressive. That is normal.

Step 4: Add the butter

Once the dough is roughly together, add the softened butter in chunks, a little at a time.

This is the part where people panic.

It will look messy. It may look greasy. It may look like you ruined it. You didn’t.

Keep going.

Let the mixer work. The butter needs time to incorporate. After several minutes, the dough should start smoothing out and looking more cohesive. Once all the butter is in, increase to medium speed and mix another 2 to 3 minutes until the dough is soft, elastic, and beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

What you want:

• soft

• slightly tacky

• smooth

• stretchy

What you do not want:

• soup

• paste

• dry little chunks

• a rock-hard dough ball

If it’s a touch sticky, that’s okay. Potato flakes continue to absorb moisture as the dough rests, so don’t go dumping in a bunch of extra flour right away just because it’s softer than bread dough.

Step 5: First rise

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl or container. Cover it and let it rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on your kitchen.

If your kitchen runs cold, it may take a little longer. If your kitchen is basically a terrarium, it may move faster.

You can also refrigerate the dough after this first rise for up to 24 hours if you want easier rolling and slightly better flavor. Cold dough is a lot less dramatic.

Step 6: Make the filling

Beat together:

• softened butter

• brown sugar

• granulated sugar

• cinnamon

• vanilla, if using

You want a smooth, spreadable paste. Not liquid. Not chunky. Something that will smear nicely without tearing the dough.

Step 7: Roll and shape

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a rectangle, about 16 x 18 inches.

Spread the filling evenly across the dough, leaving about a 1-inch bare strip along one long edge so you have somewhere to seal it.

Roll tightly from the opposite long side toward the bare edge. Use a little water on that clean strip and pinch to seal.

Cut into 2-inch rolls with dental floss or a sharp knife.

If using floss, slide it under the log, cross it over the top, and pull. Very satisfying. Very clean. Highly recommend.

Step 8: Second rise

Arrange the rolls in a greased 9x13 pan. Cover lightly and let rise 45 to 60 minutes, until puffy and nearly doubled.

They should look full and a little marshmallowy. Not dense little hockey pucks.

Step 9: Bake

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and the center rolls hit around 185°F internally.

Don’t overbake them trying to get a dark top. Cinnamon rolls should be soft and rich, not armored.

Let them cool 10 to 15 minutes before frosting.

Optional: Sugar syrup

If you like that glossy, bakery-fresh finish, or you want a little extra insurance on moisture, make a simple syrup:

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/4 cup sugar

Heat until dissolved, then brush over the warm rolls.

With the potato flakes in this dough, you may find you don’t need this for moisture anymore. I like it more as a shine and finish move now rather than a rescue move.

Cream cheese frosting

Beat together:

• cream cheese

• butter

• powdered sugar

• vanilla

• milk or cream as needed

Spread onto slightly warm rolls if you want it to melt into the swirls a bit, or wait until the rolls are cooler if you want a cleaner, thicker look.

No wrong answer here. Only personal frosting philosophy.

Flavoring the dough itself

Plain dough is fine, but flavored dough is where things start getting fun and my favorite part of the process.

If you’re torn between using the same dough recipe but switching up only fillings, give this a try for a unique spin on flavor depth. A good flavored dough immediately makes your lineup feel more intentional, more premium, and more memorable.

There are two easy ways to do this:

Read more

I’m going to say this upfront so we’re clear:

Once you make one of these…
you’re not going back to regular cookies. Well, you might, but this will stick with your customers for a long time.

This is the thick, deep-dish, borderline-illegal kind of bake.
The kind you slice cold so it holds together—but eat warm so it melts in your mouth a little.

And before you ask—yes, this is the same style that started blowing up at markets years ago over in the UK. Big, stuffed, overfilled, “how is this even holding together?” cookie pies.

We’re not doing shortcuts here.
We’re doing it the way that actually works.

Let Midnight Bakers Society be the first to help provide some insight here in the US to the cookie pies taking the UK by storm!

BEFORE YOU TOUCH THE MIXER

This recipe is different.

This is not:

• a giant cookie

• a skillet cookie

• or a cookie cake

This is a sealed, filled, structured cookie pie.

Bottom crust.
Filling.
Top lid.
Baked low and slow so the inside stays soft and the outside doesn’t collapse.

If your past attempts turned into:

• greasy puddles

• raw centers

• or cracked chaos

…yeah, we’re fixing that today.

We’re using:

• cold butter

• high structure baking ratios

• cornstarch for softness & stability

Which means:

• less spread

• thicker bakes

• stronger walls for fillings

This isn’t guesswork. This is controlled chaos.

THE BASE DOUGH

Metric (Recommended for accuracy)

• 227g unsalted butter, cold & cubed

• 213g light brown sugar

• 100g granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 5g vanilla extract

• 340g all-purpose flour

• 25g cornstarch

• ¾ tsp baking soda

• ¾ tsp salt

• 200g milk chocolate chips

• 200g semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cups Version (Still solid)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cubed

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2¾ cups flour (spooned + leveled)

• 3 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch

• ¾ tsp baking soda

• ¾ tsp salt

• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

1. Cold Butter + Sugar Phase

Add cold butter and both sugars to your mixer.

Mix on medium for ~5 minutes.

You are NOT aiming for fluffy.

You want:

• creamy

• slightly textured

• no large butter chunks

This step controls:

• spread

• thickness

• final structure

2. Eggs

Add eggs one at a time.

Mix until smooth and slightly lighter in color

This builds:

• elasticity

• binding

• overall dough cohesion

3. Vanilla

Add, mix, scrape, mix again.

You’re looking for smooth. No lumps.
No weird streaks.

4. Dry Ingredients

Add:

• flour

• cornstarch

• baking soda

• salt

Mix on low speed. Don’t overwork it.

You want:

• soft dough

• not sticky

• not wet

If it feels like thick frosting, you messed up.
If it feels like playdough, you’re in the zone.

Stop the second flour disappears.

Overmixing = tough cookie
Undermixing = uneven bake

5. Fold in Mix-Ins

Use a spatula. Mix just enough to distribute.

Don’t annihilate your dough trying to be perfect.

6. Chill

Refrigerate:

• minimum 4-6 hours

Overnight is better.

This is not optional.

This is what:

• deepens the flavor

• firms the dough

• makes rolling possible

• prevents collapse in the oven

If you skip this, your cookie pie will humble you.

BUILDING THE COOKIE PIE

What you need (don’t overthink it)

• 7–8 inch round tin (loose base like a springform pan helps a LOT)

• Mixer (hand or stand)

• Parchment

• Rolling pin (or a wine bottle, I’m not judging)

1. Line Your Tin

Parchment circle on the bottom.
Saves your sanity later.

2. Base Layer

Take 250–300g dough

Roll it out and press it into the tin:

• bottom covered

• sides come up (but not all the way to the top)

It will crack. It will look messy.

Fix it with your fingers, this is meant to be a very basic and forgiving dough.

2. Fill It

This is where you stand out and other people play it safe.

Options:

• Biscoff

• Nutella

• Ganache (find our free ganache guide here!)

• Fudge (check out our fudge filling here , but any fudge recipe will do. chill to firm between layers if using more than 1 fudge flavor)

• Peanut Butter

• Marshmallow Fluff

The original example uses Biscoff …but honestly?

Put whatever you want in there.

Just don’t overfill to the point you can’t seal it.

Texture Add-Ins:

• chopped candy bars

• cookies

• brownies

• pretzels

Think in layers, not just filling

3. Top Layer

Use 200–250g dough

Roll it out. Lay it on top.

Now seal it like your life depends on it:

• press edges together

• push sides slightly lower than center

This gives you that signature dome top instead of a flat disaster.

BAKING

Oven Settings

• Fan oven: 160°C (~320-325°F) → ~20-24 minutes

• Conventional: 180°C (~350-360°F) → ~22-28 minutes

Low and controlled. Not aggressive.

You’re not trying to “cook it through”—
you’re trying to set the structure while keeping the inside soft.

What You’re Looking For:

• golden edges

• slightly soft center

• set top

👉 DO NOT overbake
It continues cooking as it cools

COOLING

This is the hardest part. Seriously.
You have to wait.

• Cool at room temp for a couple hours (2-4 hours)

• Then chill for at least 6-12 additional hours (overnight is best)

This is what gives you:

• clean slices

• defined layers

• that thick bakery look

If you cut it warm, it’ll still taste amazing…

…but it’ll look like a crime scene.

HOW TO SLICE (YES THIS MATTERS)

Use:

• sharp knife

• wipe between cuts

You want to slice it like a cheesecake, not a cookie.

FLAVOR SYSTEM

1. Dough Variations

Add to base dough:

• espresso powder

• cocoa powder (replace some flour)

• cinnamon

• citrus zest

2. Core Fill Ideas

• cheesecake center

• cookie butter core

• fudge layer

• jam + white chocolate

• chocolate ganache

3. Texture Layers

• crushed Oreos

• chopped brownies

• wafers

• pretzels

MBS SIGNATURE COMBOS

Crowd Favorites

• Biscoff + white chocolate

• Oreo + cookies & cream center

• Kinder + hazelnut cream

Elevated

• Espresso + dark chocolate ganache

• Salted caramel + shortbread

• Raspberry + white chocolate

Chaotic (Our personal best-sellers!)

• Peanut butter + pretzel + caramel

• Brownie-stuffed cookie pie

• S’mores core

SELLING

This is not just a recipe.

This is a high-margin product.

Why it works:

• visually impressive

• sliceable → portion control (this recipe creates 6-8 BIG slices!)

• customizable → endless menu

Sell it as:

• whole pies

• slices

• seasonal drops

Slices = higher profit per batch

COMMON MISTAKES

• skipping chill → collapse

• overfilling → leaks

• underbaking edges → raw structure

• cutting warm → disaster

FINAL WORD

This isn’t just something you bake.

This is something you can:

• build a menu around

• turn into cookie bars

• sell consistently

• turn into a signature item

And once you understand the method?

You can start going completely unhinged with flavors.

If you’ve made it this far…

You’re officially past the point of making normal cookies.

Welcome to the deep end.

There’s a difference between frosting that looks good in photos and frosting that performs in real life.

Real life looks like:

• warm kitchens

• farmers markets

• pickup windows

• transport in a car that’s definitely warmer than you think

• and cottage food rules that don’t always allow refrigeration

If your frosting can’t handle those conditions, it’s not a frosting problem—it’s a formulation problem.

This guide is about fixing that.

What This Is (And What It Isn’t)

This is not a “quick buttercream recipe.”

This is a framework for building frosting that is:

• stable at room temperature

• pipeable and consistent

• lower in perceived sweetness

• adaptable without breaking

This is not regulator-approved legal advice. Cottage-food and food safety rules vary by state and country, and whether your frosting qualifies as non-TCS/PHF at room temperature depends on your local rules

One thing to be clear on: this style of frosting relies on controlled formulation, not shortcuts. That means no improvising with wet ingredients and hoping for the best.

The Non-Negotiables (Read This First)

If you want this to work, you follow the guardrails.

• Do not add water, milk, cream, or fruit purées

• Do not stir jam directly into the frosting

• Do not eyeball measurements

• Do not skip the mixing time

This system works because it keeps water activity low and structure consistent. Once you start adding moisture, you’re no longer working with a shelf-stable product.

If your local regulations require validation, you’ll need to test your final product—but these formulas are designed to stay within safe working ranges when used as written.

The Master Formula

Vanilla Shelf-Stable Frosting

This is your base. Everything builds from here.

Yield: ~760–800 g
(Enough for a tall 6-inch cake or ~12 cupcakes)

Ingredients

• 250 g shortening (Crisco or Sweetex)

• 425 g powdered sugar, sifted

• 25 g skim milk powder

• 25 g cornstarch

• 35 g corn syrup or golden syrup

• 15 g vegetable glycerin (food-grade)

• 1 g fine salt

• 10 g vanilla extract

Method (This Is Where Most People Go Wrong)

Start by dividing your shortening:

• 190 g stays solid

• 60 g gets gently melted

That split is intentional—it improves texture and emulsification.

Cream the solid shortening for about 2 minutes until smooth.

Sift together your dry ingredients (sugar, milk powder, cornstarch, salt), then add them in stages. Don’t dump everything in at once.

Mix your glycerin and syrup together, then stream that in slowly.

Add the melted shortening.

Now—this is the part people skip:

Whip for 15 full minutes.

Not until it “looks done.”
Not until it’s “combined.”

Fifteen minutes.

That’s what transforms it from dense and gritty into something light, smooth, and pipeable.

Adjusting the Base (Without Breaking It)

Once you understand the structure, you can adjust it—but only within reason.

Using high-ratio shortening (Sweetex)

• Reduce glycerin slightly

• Expect smoother texture and easier aeration

• If too soft → add a little sugar or starch

For less sweetness

• Reduce sugar slightly

• Increase milk powder to balance

For warmer environments

• Add cocoa butter or a touch more starch

• Reinforce structure before you need it

For better mouthfeel

• Keep glycerin in range (don’t overdo it)

Everything here is a balance between fat, sugar, and structure. Push one too far, and something else compensates.

Flavoring Without Ruining Stability

This is where most frosting fails.

Not because of the base—but because of what gets added to it.

The rule:

If it adds water, it’s a problem.

Safe Flavor Methods

Freeze-dried fruit powders

• ~15 g per batch

• Strong flavor, no added moisture

• Adjust slightly if texture tightens

Coffee and tea

• Espresso powder or extract

• Dry spice/tea blends

Extracts and emulsions

• Use small amounts

• Add at the end

Nut pastes and pralines

• Add richness and structure

• Adjust other ingredients slightly

Chocolate and spreads

• Require formula adjustments

• Must be added at correct temperatures

All of these work because they respect the system—they don’t introduce free water or destabilize the emulsion.

Chocolate Variations (Where Precision Matters)

Chocolate changes the structure, so you adjust the base accordingly.

Dark Chocolate

• 180 g melted and cooled

• Stronger flavor

• Best balance overall

Milk Chocolate

• Reduce sugar and glycerin

• Softer final texture

White Chocolate

• Reduce sugar more aggressively

• Much softer base

Cocoa-only version

• Add cocoa powder

• Adjust sugar and structure slightly

Temperature matters here. If your chocolate is too hot or overmixed, you’ll break the frosting.

Let’s Talk About Jam

Do not mix jam into this frosting.

Yes—even store-bought jam.

Once you mix it in, you’ve changed the product. You’ve added moisture. You’ve potentially pushed it out of shelf-stable range.

If you want fruit flavor:

• use freeze-dried powders

• or layer jam separately inside the cake

That’s how you keep both flavor and structure intact.

Piping, Holding, and Storage

This frosting performs best around:
70–73°F (21–23°C)

If it’s too stiff:

• warm slightly

• re-whip briefly

If too soft:

• chill briefly

• re-whip

Before selling, do something most people skip:
Pipe a test swirl and let it sit at your working temperature for a few hours. That tells you exactly how your batch behaves.

General holding:

• Up to ~24 hours in a cool, dry room

• Longer with refrigeration

Storage:

• Fridge: up to 1 week

• Freezer: up to 3 months

Re-whip before use to restore texture.

Troubleshooting

Gritty texture

• Use finer sugar (12X if possible)

• Sift properly

• Whip long enough

Too soft

• Heat or imbalance

• Add structure (sugar, starch, cocoa butter)

Too stiff

• Slightly too much sugar or too cold

• Add a touch of glycerin

Too sweet

• Add salt, milk powder, or slight acidity

Split or greasy

• Chocolate too hot

• Overmixed

Draggy piping

• Too cold

• Warm slightly and re-whip

Most issues are not recipe failures—they’re process or environment issues.

Ingredient Quality (This Actually Matters)

You will get different results depending on what you use.

• 12X sugar = smoother finish

• High-ratio shortening = better structure

• Good extracts = cleaner flavor

• Freeze-dried fruit = better color + flavor

This is one of those areas where better ingredients reduce troubleshooting.

If You’re Selling This

Shelf life

Be conservative unless tested:

• “Consume within 1–2 days”

• Or refrigerate for longer storage

Market setup

• Keep products out of direct sun

• Use cool boxes for transport

• Pipe as close to selling time as possible

Optional validation

If required:

• Send samples for water activity testing

• Keep documentation on file

Final word

This guide is valuable because it doesn’t just hand you a frosting and hope you figure the rest out.

It gives you:

• a stable base

• flavor rules

• ingredient logic

• holding and storage expectations

• troubleshooting

• compliance guardrails

• and the business notes people usually learn the hard way

That’s what makes it useful.

Shelf-stable frosting is not glamorous. It’s not romantic. It’s not the thing people brag about first.

But when your product still looks good after setup, transport, display, and pickup — while somebody else’s is slumping sideways into the box — this is the part that matters.

Introduction: Why This Matters More Than You Think

Before we get into technique, let’s get something clear:

Photography is not a “nice extra” for baking.
It is one of the most powerful tools you have for selling your food.

People don’t taste your product first.
They see it first.

And what they see determines:

• whether they stop scrolling

• whether they trust you

• whether they believe it’s worth buying

You could be baking the best cinnamon rolls, sourdough, or scones in your area—but if your photos don’t reflect that quality, your product will always feel undervalued.

On the flip side:

A well-lit, well-composed, intentional photo can:

• increase perceived value

• build trust instantly

• make your product feel premium

• and sell for you long after you’ve baked it

That’s the power of photography.

And the goal of this guide is simple:

To teach you how to consistently create baking photos that look intentional, appetizing, and brand-worthy—without needing a studio or expensive equipment.

Read more

This week I’ve had photography on my mind.

Not because I’m trying to become a professional photographer, but because I’ve been paying closer attention to what actually makes people stop and want something.

And more often than not, it comes down to the photo.

Think about how you browse food. Whether it’s a bakery menu, Instagram, Pinterest, or even ordering takeout—what catches your attention first?

It’s not the description.
It’s not the ingredients.

It’s the image.

There’s a reason restaurants have leaned so heavily into visuals over the past decade. Studies have shown that adding high-quality photos to menus can increase sales significantly. People don’t just want to read about food—they want to see it. They want to imagine it. They want to feel like they can almost taste it through the screen.

And that applies just as much to home bakers and small brands.

Because here’s the reality:

You can bake something incredible—a perfectly crusted loaf of sourdough, soft cinnamon rolls, flaky scones, rich brownies—but if the photo is dark, cluttered, or flat, it won’t land the way it should.

And on the flip side, a simple bake—something very approachable—can feel elevated and irresistible with the right photo.

Photography doesn’t just show your baking.

It translates it into desire.

The Quiet Advantage Most Bakers Overlook

In a crowded space—especially at markets or online—most people are focused on the bake itself.

Better flavors. Better texture. Better recipes.

And those things absolutely matter.

But when everyone is good, the difference often becomes presentation.

Not packaging.
Not branding.

The photo.

A well-lit, clean, intentional photo immediately signals quality. It tells someone, without saying a word, that care went into the product. That it’s worth paying attention to.

It also creates something that keeps working for you long after the bake is gone.

A single strong photo can be reused again and again—for menus, posts, seasonal promotions, newsletters. It becomes part of your visual library.

And over time, those images start to build something bigger than a single product.

They build a recognizable look.

The Part No One Talks About Enough

Most people assume better photography comes from better equipment.

A nicer camera.
More props.
More editing.

But that’s rarely the case.

The biggest difference between an average food photo and a strong one almost always comes down to one thing:

Light.

Not how much of it you have—but how you use it.

You can have the most beautiful baked good in front of you, but if the light is coming from the wrong direction, it flattens everything. Texture disappears. Depth disappears. The very things that make baked goods appealing—crumb, crust, layers, softness—get lost.

And on the other hand, when light is soft and directional, everything changes. The edges of a loaf catch a glow. The swirl of a cinnamon roll becomes more defined. A muffin top looks crisp instead of dull.

That’s why photography isn’t really about taking pictures.

It’s about learning how to see light—and then place your food inside it.

All of the photos you see on this Substack are taken with an iPhone and natural lighting.

Simplifying What’s Around the Bake

Another thing that quietly affects your photos is everything around the food.

It’s easy to overlook this because it feels harmless. A countertop, a towel, a few kitchen items left in the background.

But those details compete for attention.

And attention is limited.

When someone looks at your photo, their brain is trying to figure out what matters most. If there’s too much going on, it hesitates. It scans. It doesn’t land.

Strong food photos feel different. They feel clear.

The bake is the obvious focal point. The background supports it without pulling focus. Nothing feels accidental.

That doesn’t mean your photos need to be empty or sterile. It just means they need to be intentional.

A simple surface. A soft texture. A plate or tray that frames the bake instead of distracting from it.

When you remove the unnecessary, the important parts become stronger.

What This Bootcamp Is Really About

This isn’t about turning you into a professional photographer.

It’s about giving your baking the presentation it deserves.

Learning how to:

• recognize good light

• simplify your scene

• place your food intentionally

• create images that feel clean and consistent

Because once you understand those things, everything else becomes easier.

You stop guessing.
You stop overthinking.
You start building photos instead of just taking them.

And that’s when your baking starts to look the way it feels in real life.

In our full guide, we’ll shift from why this matters to what to actually do. This one will be a paid resource y’all, so if you’re not signed up now and need some photography help, hit that subscribe button!

Because once you have the basics in place, the next step is knowing exactly what photos to take—so that every time you bake, you’re not just making food… you’re building a library of content you can use again and again.

If you’ve ever gone to a brewery or winery, you’re probably familiar with a flight.

Instead of choosing just one drink, you get several small pours — each with a different flavor or style — arranged together so you can taste a little bit of everything.

Now imagine bringing that same idea to a farmers market or bakery stand.

Instead of selling a single cinnamon roll, loaf of bread, or scone… you offer a flight — a small box containing several different flavors.

Suddenly, customers aren’t choosing one item.

They’re discovering four.

And that small shift can make a big difference in how people buy from you.

🍞 Why Flights Work So Well

Market customers love variety, but they often struggle to choose.

When someone walks up to a table and sees:

• blueberry scones
• lemon scones
• chocolate chip scones
• maple pecan scones

they often pause and think:

“They all look good… I just don’t know which one to get.”

That hesitation can lead to a missed sale.

But when you offer a flight, the decision becomes much easier.

Instead of choosing one, the customer can try several.

Flights solve three common problems at market stands:

1️⃣ Decision fatigue

Customers don’t have to pick just one flavor.

2️⃣ Sampling curiosity

People love trying multiple flavors.

3️⃣ Perceived value

A box of variety feels like a discovery experience.

And when people feel like they’re getting an experience rather than just a product, they’re often willing to spend a little more.

📦 What a Flight Looks Like

A flight is simply a small assortment of the same baked item in different flavors, packaged together in a box.

Think of it like a sampler set.

Some great examples include:

🍞 Sourdough Bread Flight

Four small sliced loaves or wedges:

• classic sourdough
• rosemary garlic
• cheddar jalapeño
• cranberry walnut

Customers can try different flavor styles in one purchase.

🥐 Scone Flight

Four mini scones in seasonal flavors:

• blueberry lemon
• strawberry cream
• chocolate chip
• maple brown sugar

Perfect for brunch or sharing.

🍥 Cinnamon Roll Flight

Four smaller rolls, each with a different flavor:

• classic vanilla
• orange cream
• cookies & cream
• maple bacon

This kind of flight works especially well because cinnamon rolls feel indulgent — and flights turn them into a fun treat box.

🍪 Cookie Flight

A bakery box with several cookie flavors:

• chocolate chip
• snickerdoodle
• peanut butter
• funfetti

Customers love bringing these home to share.

🧁 Why Flights Increase Market Sales

Flights tend to increase average sales for a few key reasons.

They encourage higher spending

If a single scone costs $4, someone might buy one.

But a four-scone flight for $14 suddenly feels like a better value.

Instead of selling one item, you’ve sold four.

They feel giftable

Flights are perfect for:

• bringing home to family
• sharing at brunch
• small gifts

Customers often see a flight box and immediately think:

“That would be fun to bring home.”

They create a sense of discovery

People love tasting new flavors.

Flights turn your baking into a tasting experience.

This keeps customers coming back to see what flavors you’ve created next.

🌿 Seasonal Flight Themes

Flights also make it easy to create seasonal market offerings.

Here are a few ideas:

🍓 Spring

Berry & citrus scone flight

• strawberry
• blueberry
• lemon
• raspberry

🍑 Summer

Fruit-forward sourdough flight

• peach
• roasted garlic
• tomato basil
• jalapeño cheddar

🍂 Fall

Cozy cinnamon roll flight

• pumpkin spice
• apple pie
• maple pecan
• brown butter

❄️ Winter

Holiday cookie flight

• peppermint chocolate
• gingerbread
• sugar cookie
• snickerdoodle

Flights make your menu feel new and exciting without changing your baking process dramatically.

📸 Flights Are Great for Marketing Too

Another huge benefit of flights?

They photograph beautifully.

Multiple baked goods in one box create visual interest, color variety, and texture.

Flights make fantastic photos for:

• Instagram posts
• market announcements
• website menus

They naturally look abundant and inviting.

🧺 Practical Tips for Offering Flights

If you want to try flights at a market, keep a few things in mind.

Keep portions slightly smaller

Flights work best with mini versions of your normal product.

This keeps the box affordable while still feeling generous.

Limit the flavors

Three to four flavors per flight is usually perfect.

Too many options can make the box feel cluttered.

Use themed boxes

Giving the flight a name makes it more memorable.

Examples:

• The Weekend Brunch Flight
• The Sourdough Sampler
• The Cinnamon Roll Tasting Box
• The Seasonal Scone Box

Display a sample box

Seeing the full flight displayed helps customers understand the concept instantly.

A labeled display box can sell the idea without much explanation.

🍞 The Big Idea

Flights transform a simple baked good into something bigger.

Instead of selling just one item, you’re offering a tasting experience.

They create curiosity.

They encourage sharing.

And they naturally increase the average purchase at your market stand.

Which makes them one of the simplest ways to add value — without adding a lot of extra complexity to your baking.

There’s something magical about homemade pancakes and waffles — that warm, buttery aroma drifting through the kitchen, the golden edges, the soft fluffy centers, and of course the maple syrup slowly pooling on top.

But what if you could make dozens of different pancake and waffle flavors without constantly starting from scratch?

That’s exactly what this guide will show you.

Instead of memorizing separate recipes for birthday cake pancakes, pumpkin spice pancakes, strawberry waffles, lavender pancakes, and more… you can simply start with one reliable base mix and customize it with different flavors.

This method is perfect for:

• Weekend brunch lovers
• Holiday breakfasts
• DIY food gifts
• Farmers market or cottage bakery mixes
• Meal prep breakfasts

Once you understand the base, you can easily swap ingredients like:

• cake mixes

• spices

• freeze-dried fruit powders

• sprinkles

• cocoa powder

• brown sugar

• buttermilk powder

The possibilities are nearly endless.

Let’s start with the foundation.

The Base Pancake Mix (Master Recipe)

This is the core dry pancake mix that most variations in this guide are built from. It produces fluffy, tender pancakes with a balanced flavor.

Base Dry Pancake Mix

Ingredients

• 8 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons baking powder

• 1 tablespoon baking soda

• ¾ cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients until evenly combined.

2. Store the mix in an airtight container or divide into individual bags.

To Make Pancakes

For each batch:

• 2 cups dry mix

• 1 cup milk (or buttermilk)

• 2 eggs

• 2 tablespoons melted butter

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk wet ingredients together, stir in dry mix until just combined, and cook on a lightly greased skillet over medium heat.

Makes approximately 10–12 pancakes.

The Base Waffle Mix

Waffles need a slightly different balance to achieve that crisp exterior and fluffy interior. The key difference is more fat and slightly richer batter.

Base Dry Waffle Mix

Ingredients

• 7 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons baking powder

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

Whisk ingredients together until fully blended.

Store in airtight containers or portion into bags.

To Make Waffles

For each batch:

• 2 cups waffle mix

• ¾ cup milk

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup oil or melted butter

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cook in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer instructions.

The Secret to Endless Pancake & Waffle Flavors

Once you have your base mix, you can customize it with flavor boosters.

Here are some of the easiest swaps.

Cake Mix Add-Ins

Cake mix adds flavor, sweetness, and color.

Add 1–2 cups cake mix to your base.

Popular choices:

• yellow cake mix
• red velvet cake mix
• strawberry cake mix
• funfetti cake mix
• lemon cake mix

Then reduce the sugar in the base slightly if needed.

Freeze-Dried Fruit

Freeze-dried fruit adds natural flavor without adding moisture.

Simply grind the fruit into powder.

Good options:

• strawberries
• blueberries
• raspberries
• peaches
• bananas

Add ½–1 cup powdered fruit per batch.

Spices

Spices transform a simple pancake mix into seasonal favorites.

Some favorites include:

• cinnamon
• pumpkin spice
• nutmeg
• chai spice
• cardamom
• lavender (culinary grade)

Start with 1–3 tablespoons depending on strength.

Flavor Ideas Using the Base Mix

Now let’s look at some of the recipes you included, simplified using the base system.

Read more

There are two kinds of lemon bars in this world:

The dusty, overly sweet bake-sale squares.

And the ones that stop conversation.

These are the second kind. These are the bars that consistently earn blue ribbons at state fairs every year and leave folks wondering what that secret ingredient is.

They’re bright without being sour.
Sweet without being flat.
Buttery without being greasy.
And that olive oil? It adds silk and depth you can’t quite name — but you feel it.

Let’s build them properly.

Read more

There are two kinds of muffin recipes online:

The ones that look impressive.

And the ones that are engineered properly.

This post is about engineering.

Because most muffin failures aren’t about flavor. They’re about structure, hydration, temperature control, and restraint.

If you understand those four things, you can build any flavor variation you want — and they’ll rise the same way every time.

Let’s break this down properly.

The MBS Master Muffin Base

Yield: 12 standard muffins or 6 jumbo
Bake Strategy: 425°F start → reduce to 350°F
Rest Time: 15–20 minutes

Ingredients (Grams First — Always)

Dry

• 240 g all-purpose flour (2 cups)

• 80 g pastry flour (2/3 cup)

• 200 g sugar (1 cup)

• 12 g baking powder (1 Tbsp)

• 4 g salt (3/4 tsp)

Wet

• 85 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled (6 Tbsp)

• 60 ml neutral oil (1/4 cup)

• 2 large eggs (room temperature)

• 240 ml buttermilk (1 cup)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Optional (and recommended!):

• Coarse sugar for topping

Why This Formula Works

Let’s address the flour question first — because that’s where most people start tinkering.

Why 75% AP + 25% Pastry Flour?

All-purpose flour contains enough protein to build structure. That structure matters if you’re stacking, transporting, or displaying muffins for hours.

Pastry flour has lower protein. It softens the crumb slightly without weakening the overall muffin.

Using both gives you tenderness without collapse.

Why Butter and Oil Together?

Butter gives you flavor and a slightly tighter crumb. Oil gives you moisture retention.

Butter alone firms as it cools. That’s why some muffins feel dry two hours later even if they were soft when warm.

Oil slows starch retrogradation — the process that makes baked goods feel stale.

Together, they balance flavor and longevity.

This is especially important if you’re baking for markets.

Why Buttermilk?

Buttermilk is acidic. That acidity tenderizes gluten and improves crumb softness.

It also enhances how baking powder performs. Even though baking powder contains its own acid, buttermilk improves the reaction and gives you a cleaner rise.

If you substitute regular milk, the muffins will still work — but the crumb will be slightly less tender.

The Method (This Is Where Domes Are Made)

Preheat to 425°F

The initial high temperature is not a gimmick. It causes rapid steam expansion in the batter and sets the outer structure quickly. That quick set forces upward lift.

If you bake at a constant lower temperature, muffins spread before they rise.

That’s how you get flat tops.

Mixing the Batter

Whisk your dry ingredients thoroughly. Even distribution of baking powder prevents uneven pockets of rise and tunneling.

When combining wet and dry, fold gently.

The moment flour is hydrated, gluten begins forming. Overmixing strengthens that gluten network, creating dense, tough muffins with tunnels.

A few lumps are not a mistake, they are restraint.

The Resting Step

This is the step most people skip — and the one that changes everything.

Letting the batter rest 15–20 minutes allows:

• Full hydration of flour

• Thickening of the batter

• Relaxation of gluten

• Improved dome formation

Thicker batter rises upward. Thin batter spreads outward.

Filling the Pan

Fill your liners almost to the top.

Underfilling guarantees flat muffins.

For dramatic domes, you can slightly mound the batter above the liner edge.

If you’re using jumbo tins, fill nearly full and rely on the high-start bake to prevent overflow. Fill every other well.

Baking Strategy

Place the muffins in the oven at 425°F and immediately reduce the temperature to 350°F.

This creates two stages:

1. Lift stage (high heat)

2. Even bake stage (moderate heat)

Bake until the internal temperature reaches approximately 200–205°F for fully set muffins.

Do not judge doneness by color alone.

Liners vs Greasing the Pan

This comes down to purpose.

Liners

Liners are practical. They’re clean, portable, and better for markets. They prevent sticking and allow easy handling.

However, they insulate the sides slightly, resulting in softer edges.

If you’re selling or transporting, liners are the smarter option.

Greased Pan (No Liners)

A well-greased and lightly sugared pan produces crisper edges and deeper caramelization.

This method creates a more “bakery display case” look — golden sides, slightly crisp exterior.

If baking for home or high-end presentation, this is superior aesthetically.

For volume and convenience? Use liners.

Troubleshooting

Muffins Went Flat

Flat muffins are usually caused by one of three issues:

The batter was too thin.
The batter wasn’t rested.
The oven temperature was too low.

Thin batter spreads before the protein structure sets. Resting thickens the batter and corrects this.

Also verify your oven temperature. Home ovens often run 10–25°F cooler than displayed.

Muffins Rose Then Collapsed

This happens when the structure sets before the interior fully cooks.

Common causes:

• Too much leavening

• Oven opened early

• Underbaked center

If you remove muffins too early, steam escapes before the crumb stabilizes. Always check internal temperature if unsure.

Dense or Heavy Muffins

Density typically comes from overmixing or too much flour.

When flour is overdeveloped, gluten tightens and resists expansion.

Weigh your flour. Do not scoop directly from the bag. Even small overmeasures compound quickly.

Tunneling Inside Muffins

Those long air tunnels are a sign of excessive gluten development from overmixing.

The solution is not reducing leavening — it’s mixing less.

Gummy Bottom

This is usually underbaking or too much moisture from fruit.

If using fresh fruit, especially berries, toss them lightly in flour before folding in.

Frozen fruit often performs better because it releases moisture more slowly.

Dry Muffins

Dry muffins are almost always overbaked.

Do not bake until deeply browned. Pull them once they reach 200–205°F internally.

Remember: carryover heat continues cooking them after removal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use 100% All-Purpose Flour?

Yes. The muffins will be slightly firmer and more structured — better for stacking or shipping.

Can I Use Only Pastry Flour?

Yes, but they will be more delicate. Best for same-day consumption.

Can I Chill the Batter Overnight?

Yes. Chilled batter often produces even taller domes. Bake directly from cold and extend baking time slightly.

Can I Reduce Sugar?

You may reduce sugar by 15–20% without major structural change. More than that will affect moisture and browning.

Can I Swap Buttermilk?

Plain yogurt thinned with a little milk works well. Regular milk can work but reduces tenderness slightly.

High Altitude Adjustments

At elevations above 3,000 feet:

Reduce baking powder by about 1/4 teaspoon.
Increase flour by 2–4 tablespoons.
Add 1–2 tablespoons extra liquid.
Increase oven temperature by 15–25°F.
Check for doneness earlier.

Higher elevation increases evaporation and accelerates rise. Adjust accordingly.

Final Word

The difference between a flat muffin and a bakery muffin is not a secret ingredient.

It’s understanding:

• How flour hydrates

• How heat sets structure

• How fat affects crumb

• When to stop mixing

This base is designed to be reliable, scalable, and forgiving.

🖤

Let’s talk about the lie.

Pop-ups.

Festivals.

Bridal expos.

Community days.

They’re sold with one magic word:

Exposure.

And exposure sounds productive.

It feels productive.

It looks productive.

Busy booth.

Empty trays.

You’re exhausted.

But here’s the truth most bakers don’t say out loud:

Being busy is not the same as being profitable.

And exposure does not automatically turn into income.

First: Who Are You Actually Selling To?

Most events attract retail buyers.

That’s:

• The mom buying one cookie

• The couple splitting a cinnamon roll

• The friend grabbing a muffin on impulse

That’s not bad.

But it’s not corporate catering.

It’s not bulk orders.

It’s not repeat wholesale.

The mistake happens when bakers expect:

“If enough people taste this, my business will grow.”

Taste alone doesn’t build systems.

Strategy does.

Mistake #1: Treating Events Like One-Day Wins

Most bakers evaluate an event like this:

• Was it busy?

• Did we sell out?

• Are we exhausted?

But the real questions are:

• How many emails did you collect?

• How many people followed you?

• How many came back next week?

• Did you capture photos and video?

• Did you get reviews?

• Did you book future orders?

If nothing happens after the event, you didn’t build leverage.

You just worked a long shift somewhere else.

Mistake #2: The “Exposure” Trap

Let’s be honest about costs.

Events aren’t free.

They include:

• Vendor fees

• Permits

• Extra staffing

• Prep time

• Packaging

• Samples

• Lost shop sales that day

• Emotional energy

If you pay real money for a booth, but walk away with no long-term asset (emails, contacts, catering leads), then you paid for temporary attention.

Attention without capture = rented visibility.

Mistake #3: Not Collecting Data

This is the biggest one.

You need:

✔ An email list

✔ A simple QR code sign

✔ A giveaway or incentive

“Enter to win a dozen free rolls.”

“Win catering for your office.”

“Join our email list for 10% off next week.”

If people taste your product and walk away without giving you a way to reach them again…

You lost the most valuable part of the interaction.

Events are awareness spikes.

Email turns awareness into a relationship.

Mistake #4: No Follow-Up

Even if you collect emails…

What happens next?

If you don’t send:

• A thank you

• A bounce-back coupon

• A recap

• A catering reminder

• A “see you next week” note

Then the energy dies.

Markets and festivals create peak attention.

Follow-up converts peak attention into future revenue.

No follow-up = wasted opportunity.

Mistake #5: Staying Retail-Only

Retail sales are fine.

But if you stop there, you leave margin on the table.

Use events to:

• Run a catering giveaway

• Showcase larger format trays

• Promote bulk ordering

• Collect office contacts

• Capture content of your display

The retail buyer today could be:

• A birthday planner tomorrow

• An office admin next week

• A holiday order in December

But only if you bridge that gap intentionally.

What Actually Makes Events Work

Successful bakery events are not random.

They:

✔ Collect customer data

✔ Feed email and SMS lists

✔ Generate content

✔ Capture reviews

✔ Create follow-up reasons

✔ Support future catering

✔ Strengthen local partnerships

They don’t just feel productive.

They build systems.

The Midnight Rule for Events

Before you sign up for any event, ask:

1. What am I collecting?

2. What will I send afterward?

3. What higher-margin offer am I promoting?

4. How does this connect to my bigger marketing system?

If you can’t answer those…

You’re not running a strategy.

You’re renting a table.

When Events Are Worth It

Events can absolutely:

• Lower acquisition costs

• Grow your email list

• Fill slow weeks

• Support catering growth

• Build brand awareness

But only if you treat them like part of a funnel.

Not a standalone hustle.

The Bottom Line

If you’ve ever left a festival thinking:

“That was a lot of work… but I’m not sure what it did for my business.”

It wasn’t your product.

It wasn’t your personality.

It wasn’t your pricing.

It was the lack of a system.

Exposure is rented.

Email lists are owned.

And owned audiences build real bakeries.

🖤

Let’s clear something up:

Most home bakers aren’t failing at scones because of flavor.

They’re failing because they’re overworking the dough, overheating the butter, or chasing “smooth.”

Scones are not smooth.
They are layered.
They are structured.
They are controlled chaos.

This base — adapted and expanded from a traditional bakery method — is the foundation for every farmers market–ready scone you’ll ever need.

We’re not just making scones.

We’re building a system.

The Master Scone Base

Yield: 16 standard scones
Bake: 400°F (204°C)
Time: 12–15 minutes

Ingredients (Weighted First — Always)

• 360 g pastry flour (3 1/3 cups)

• 100 g sugar (1/2 cup)

• 2–3 g salt (1/2 tsp)

• 14 g baking powder (1 Tbsp)

• 120 g frozen unsalted butter, cubed (8 1/2 Tbsp)

• 180 ml heavy cream (3/4 cup)

• 1 large egg

• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (optional)

• 60 ml heavy cream for brushing (1/4 cup)

Why This Works (Structure Breakdown)

Pastry Flour = Tender Rise

Lower protein = softer crumb.
If you want more structure for transport or stacking:
→ Use all-purpose flour instead.

Frozen Butter = Lift

Cold fat creates steam.
Steam creates layers.
Layers create height.

If your butter melts before baking, you’ve already lost rise.

Heavy Cream + Egg = Stability

The fat gives tenderness.
The egg gives structure.
This is why these hold better at markets than buttermilk-only versions.

Method (Slow Down Here)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line trays with parchment.

2. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder.

3. Add frozen butter and blend with hands until sand-like but with visible pea-sized pieces.

4. In separate bowl, mix cream, egg, vanilla.

5. Make a well in dry ingredients. Add wet. Mix gently until JUST combined.

6. Turn onto lightly floured surface.

7. Shape into rectangle.

8. Fold in half. Flatten.

9. Fold opposite direction. Flatten.

That’s lamination.
That’s the lift.

10. Divide into two 6” circles, 1” thick.

11. Cut into 8 wedges per circle.

12. Brush with cream.

13. Bake 12–15 minutes until lightly golden.

Pull them when pale-golden, not brown.
Overbaked scones = dry by hour two at market.

The Lamination Rule (Do Not Skip This)

That double fold step?

That is your height insurance.

It creates visible internal layers.
It traps cold butter.
It prevents density.

No kneading.
No pressing aggressively.
No twisting cutters.

Press straight down if using cutters. Twisting seals edges and prevents rise.

Flour Adjustments (Market Strategy)

If running low on pastry flour:

• 180 g all-purpose

• 180 g cake flour

• 3 g cornstarch

If using all AP:
Expect slightly heavier but more durable scones.

For farmers markets:
All AP is actually a smart choice if stacking or transporting (but we prefer the tenderness of AP and cake flour mixed).

Adding Mix-Ins (Timing Matters)

Add after combining wet and dry but before heavy handling.

Coat fruit in flour first.

Frozen and freeze-dried fruits outperform fresh.
Fresh fruit leaks moisture and flattens structure.

Blueberry version (market favorite):
105–140 g frozen wild blueberries (3/4–1 cup)
Add before final fold.

Sweet vs Savory Adjustments

For savory:
Omit sugar entirely.

Example:

• 1 cup sharp cheddar

• 2 Tbsp chopped chives

• Pinch black pepper

These sell fast at morning markets.

The Market Upgrade: Sugar Crust Finish

Before baking:
Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

This:

• Adds visual texture

• Protects surface moisture

• Creates bakery-level finish

Simple trick.
Major difference.

Vanilla Bean Glaze (High Seller)

188 g powdered sugar (1 1/2 cups)
1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste
2–3 Tbsp milk

Whisk. Spoon over cooled scones.

Double vanilla in dough if going full bakery aesthetic.

Let set before packaging.

Shelf-Life Reality

These hold:
4–6 hours displayed properly
24 hours airtight
Freeze beautifully unbaked or baked

Freeze wedges raw.
Bake straight from frozen.
Add 2–3 minutes.

Farmers Market Notes

These scones are:
✔ Stackable
✔ Sliceable
✔ Stable in cool mornings
✔ Easy to rotate into seasonal flavors

Spring:
Lemon Blueberry
Strawberry Shortcake

Summer:
Peach Crumb
Maple Pecan

Fall:
Pumpkin Spice
Apple Cinnamon

One base. Endless rotation.

The Biggest Mistakes

• Overmixing
• Butter too soft
• Overbaking
• Skipping lamination
• Twisting cutters

You are not making biscuits.
You are engineering lift.

Final Word

If your scones are flat, tough, or crumbly by mid-morning, it’s not the flavor.

It’s the structure.

Fix the structure and everything else becomes easier.

This is your base.
Build from here.

🖤

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links. That means if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I only link tools, ingredients, and equipment I actually use, trust, or would recommend to a fellow baker standing in my kitchen at midnight. No sponsored fluff. No random junk.

Your support helps keep The Midnight Bakers Society running, tested, and properly caffeinated — so thank you for that. 🖤🍪

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Let’s get one thing straight:

A farmers’ market is not just “bring your baked goods and hope for the best.”

It’s logistics.
It’s structure.
It’s temperature control.
It’s margin math.
It’s presentation psychology.

And if you prepare correctly, it’s one of the most validating, profitable things you can do as a home baker.

If this is your first season — or you’re considering signing up — this guide will walk you through what actually matters.

No overwhelm.
No aesthetic fluff.
Just what works.

Step 1: Decide What You’re Actually Selling

New bakers make one big mistake:

They try to bring everything.

Fifteen flavors. Three formats. “Just in case” options.

It dilutes your table, slows production, and hurts your margins.

Instead:

Start with 5-6 core products max.

For example:

• 2 scone flavors

• 2 muffin flavors

• 1-2 cinnamon roll or cookie options

That’s it.

Why five or six?

Because:

• It’s visually full without looking chaotic

• You can batch efficiently

• You reduce waste

• Customers make faster decisions

Farmers markets are fast. Simplicity wins.

Step 2: Build a Table That Stops People

You are not competing with grocery stores.

You are competing with:

• Fresh produce color

• Flower vendors

• Honey jars

• Handmade soaps

Your table needs height and intention.

The 3-Level Rule

Always have:

• Something flat

• Something mid-height

• Something tall

Use:

• Wooden crates

• Cake stands

• Risers

• Upside-down boxes under tablecloth

Height creates visual interest. Flat tables get ignored.

Step 3: Essential Supplies (What You Actually Need)

You don’t need a Pinterest tent.

You need functional equipment.

The Non-Negotiables

• 10x10 tent (check market rules)

• Tent weights (at least 25–40 lbs per leg)

• 6–8 foot folding table

• Fitted or clean tablecloth

• Clear price signage

• Business cards

• Cash + small bills

• Venmo / Square setup

• Food-safe gloves

• Cooling racks (for backup stock) ← These have been lifesavers for me!

• Airtight storage bins

Optional but smart:

• Branded stickers

• Clear pastry boxes for premium items (decide sizing before purchase)

Bring less decor. Bring more structure.

Step 4: Packaging Strategy

Packaging affects:

• Shelf life

• Perceived value

• Margin

Paper bakery bags = affordable, breathable.
Clear clamshells = higher perceived value.
Window boxes = premium.

For early markets (cool weather):
Paper bags are fine.

For warmer markets:
Ventilation matters. Don’t trap steam.

Always:

• Cool completely before packaging

• Label clearly

• Include storage instructions

“Best enjoyed within 24 hours. Store airtight.”

Step 5: Bake for Market Conditions, Not Instagram

Outdoor baking reality:

• Wind dries things out

• Heat softens frosting

• Humidity makes rolls sweat

Choose recipes that:

✔ Hold for 4+ hours
✔ Don’t rely on buttercream
✔ Don’t melt in sun
✔ Don’t collapse in packaging

Scones, muffins, crumb cakes, and lightly glazed rolls are ideal.

Save the delicate pastries for cooler seasons.

Step 6: How Much Should You Bake?

Here’s a simple starting framework:

If you expect 100–150 visitors:
Bring 60–100 total items.

If you’re brand new:
Err on the lower side.

Running out of product is better than hauling home waste.

Track:

• What sells first

• What lingers

• Time of day spikes

Markets are data collection events disguised as bake sales.

Step 7: Display Psychology

People don’t buy what they don’t understand.

Use simple signage:

• “Strawberry Lemon Scone”

• “Brown Sugar Cinnamon Roll”

• “Blueberry Crumb Muffin”

Avoid long descriptions.

Highlight one item as:
“Best Seller”
or
“New This Week”

That subtle nudge increases conversion dramatically.

Step 8: Timing & Workflow

Do not bake everything at 2am in a panic.

Sample schedule:

Thursday

• Mix doughs

• Freeze fillings

• Prep dry mixes

Friday

• Bake stable items (muffins, scones)

• Prep roll dough

Saturday Morning

• Bake rolls

• Pack, label, load

Structure reduces burnout.

Step 9: The Mindset Shift

You are not “just trying it.”

You are building a brand.

Stand confidently.
Make eye contact.
Say hello first.

You don’t need to oversell.

Confidence sells more than volume.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Too many flavors

• No tent weights

• No small bills

• Overdecorating

• Underpricing

• Baking recipes that don’t hold

Learn fast. Adjust weekly.

What’s Next

This post is your foundation.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be breaking down:

• Market-proof scones

• Muffins that stay moist for hours

• Cinnamon Rolls built for humidity

• Menu structure that maximizes profit

• … and more!

Farmers market season isn’t about being cute.

It’s about being prepared.

And if you do this right, you won’t just sell baked goods.

You’ll build a returning customer base that looks for your tent first.

That’s Midnight Bakers Society baking.

Intentional. Structured. Profitable. 🖤🍪

This isn’t a drizzle.
It’s not a buttercream.
And it’s definitely not ganache pretending to behave at room temperature.

This is a shelf-stable fudge filling system — built to hold its shape, cut clean, scale easily, and let you create dozens of bakery-ready flavors without reinventing your process every time.

If you sell cookies, brownies, bars, or stuffed bakes — this is one of those formulas you build your menu around.

WHY THIS SYSTEM EXISTS

Buttercream is fragile.
Ganache is moody.
Both melt, shift, or fail the moment heat, time, or transport enter the chat.

This fudge:

• Sets smooth but not hard

• Holds shape without oozing

• Cuts clean for bars and layers

• Stays stable 5–7 days at room temperature

• Scales cleanly for business baking

This is not a novelty filling.
It’s infrastructure.

Read more