I’ve been after outstanding sourdough bread for almost 3 years now. Patience truly is key. Anybody just starting out is bound to be disappointed a few times, but don’t give up and don’t be afraid to fail. Really.

I just fashioned myself a “poor man’s cloche” out of a large, unglazed terra cotta flower pot, which is intended to emulate a masonry/hearth oven. The difference between cooking under a flower pot and cooking in a metal loaf pan is astounding.