Sourdough fail, or victory?

This feels like a bit of a PSA for type-A perfectionist home bakers that consider no ears a fail. Like me! I knew during initial stengthening (when I combined my autolyse and levain) that I added a smidge too much water and my rise would be a little off. What I’ve learned, a year into sourdough baking, is a no ear sourdough loaf still tastes delish. We’ve been eating slices of this loaf all week. It’s been the star of sandwiches (like the delish turkey, corn, arugula, feta one pictured. YUM!) and a perfect side to eggs, smothered in butter and jam. While the crumb IS slightly different, the taste is still great. So, remember, even when you don’t get the rise you want or expected, your loaf was made with love and still tastes fantastic!

#sourdough #dontgiveup #sandwichideas

2025/11/5 Edited to

... Read moreMany home bakers fixate on the appearance of their sourdough, especially the coveted "ears"—those crispy, raised edges of the crust that signal a perfect rise and oven spring. However, it’s important to remember that the true joy of sourdough lies not only in its looks but in its flavor and texture. When your loaf doesn’t develop ears, often due to slight variations like adding just a bit too much water or changes in dough handling, it can still yield a wonderfully tasty bread. The crumb, while sometimes denser or less open, can be ideal for hearty sandwiches or toasted breakfast sides. In fact, a no-ear sourdough can be more forgiving when layering fillings, as it often holds together better without the extra crusty peaks. From a baking perspective, "ears" form due to a combination of factors including dough strength, scoring technique, hydration level, and oven spring. For type-A perfectionist bakers, a loaf lacking ears might feel like a failure; yet, this is a learning step that advances your understanding of fermentation, hydration, and dough development. Instead of judging the loaf solely on aesthetics, consider the full experience: the aroma, the taste, and how it complements your meals. The article's example of a turkey, corn, arugula, and feta sandwich highlights how even a no-ear loaf can star in delicious, creative meals. Plus, enjoying sourdough with butter and jam for breakfast shows its versatile appeal. Remember, baking sourdough is as much about patience and love as it is about technical precision. Even seasoned bakers encounter tricks and surprises along the way. Embracing the imperfections helps build confidence and ultimately leads to more consistent, delicious loaves. So, if you find your sourdough isn't rising with ears, don’t be discouraged. Your loaf still makes a "bomb sandwich" and tastes fantastic! Keep practicing, enjoy each bite, and celebrate the flavorful victories, not just the visual ones.

Related posts

A hand holds a freshly baked sourdough loaf, cut in half to reveal its airy, open crumb, with "Beginner Sourdough Recipe" text overlay.
A glass bowl on a counter shows water and active sourdough starter being mixed, with a list of sourdough ingredients and their measurements.
A glass bowl contains a "shaggy" sourdough dough mixture, with instructions for mixing ingredients and covering the dough for 30 minutes.
✨Beginner Sourdough Recipe ✨
My Go To Sourdough Recipe! 🍞 Sourdough 🍞 What you will need: Active sourdough starter Warm water Salt Bread flour Parchment paper Dutch ovens Few ice cubes (optional) This has been my go to recipe since I started making bread and I have never had any problems! Try the ice cube ti
Shelby

Shelby

1334 likes

Dollar Tree Sourdough Kit - all under $18
“Who knew you could start your sourdough journey for under $18? 🍞✨ Found these gems at Dollar Tree and it’s everything you need to get baking without breaking the bank! #SourdoughStarter #BudgetBaking #DollarTreeFinds #dollartreesavings #Lemon8Diary
Makaila | Juno’s Bakery 🍯

Makaila | Juno’s Bakery 🍯

2341 likes

A mason jar containing a light brown sourdough starter, with text overlays indicating it's a sourdough starter recipe and to swipe for ingredients.
Ingredients and tools for making sourdough starter, including bags of whole wheat and unbleached all-purpose flour, a mason jar, a red silicone spatula, and measuring cups.
A close-up view inside a jar showing the thick, pancake batter-like consistency of the sourdough starter being stirred with a red silicone spatula.
sourdough starter recipe 🍞🥯
I’ve seen a lot of debate about whether or not sourdough starter is easy to make or maintain. personally, I find it to be extremely easy to make and maintain. although, I’m not a mom. I’m a student and owner of many pets - just wanted to pick up a hobby! I based my recipe off of The Clever Ca
mariangeli 🔮

mariangeli 🔮

1119 likes

Flowerdough sourdough🌸🍞
Making the prettiest sourdough flower 🍞💜💙 #sourdough #flowerdough #fairybread #whimsybaking
Katrina- The Sourdough Mama

Katrina- The Sourdough Mama

7933 likes

Easy No Knead Sourdough Sandwich Loaf 🥪
Easy No Knead Sourdough Sandwich Loaf This is such an easy sourdough bread recipe that is great for beginners or if you want something more hands off! 👩🏻‍🍳INGREDIENTS: 65g active sourdough starter (my sourdough starter is available for purchase on Etsy if interested) 300g warm water 40g ho
Katie 👩🏻‍🍳

Katie 👩🏻‍🍳

1083 likes

A batch of golden-brown, flaky sourdough croissants rests on a black wire cooling rack, with some highlighted by white outlines. The image includes text overlays 'Sourdough Croissants' and 'SWIPE'.
A printed recipe page for 'Sourdough Croissants' details yield, prep/cook/total times, and ingredients like butter, flour, sugar, salt, milk, and sourdough starter. It also outlines initial kneading instructions.
A printed recipe page continues with instructions for preparing the sourdough croissant dough, including chilling and rolling. It also details how to prepare the butter layer and the lamination process of folding the butter into the dough.
Sourdough Croissant 🥐
Get ready for an arm workout 😅 but it’s totally worth it! These are so yummy! #sourdough #sourdoughstarter #croissant #homemade #homemaderecipes #food #foodie #housewife #sourdoughrecipe #sourdoughforbeginners
Taylor Smith

Taylor Smith

504 likes

Fail-Proof Sourdough Recipe
Ooo also add a pan of water at the bottom of the oven when you bake your loaves 🙂‍↕️🤤 #sourdoughtok #sourdoughrecipe #easyrecipe #homemadebread #bakewithme
Chandni 💙

Chandni 💙

39 likes

Sourdough starter ratios for beginners
Save and share this video for reference! #sourdoughbeginner #sourdoughforbeginners #sourdoughstarter #sourdoughdiscard #sourdoughideas
Little Ranch Family🏠🪴🍞

Little Ranch Family🏠🪴🍞

2017 likes

simple sourdough recipe for beginners 🍞
• 150g active starter (roughly 3/4 cup if you do not have a scale) • 8.8oz warm water (1.1 cups) • 25g olive oil (1 & 1/3 tbsp) • 10g salt (1.5 tsp) • 500g bread flour (4 cups) mix into a shaggy dough and let rest 30 mins. after 30 mins, knead dough until smooth and shape into a ball. ad
Kaylee Ri

Kaylee Ri

122 likes

Rapunzel Sourdough Flower
Bring back what once was mine 💛💜✨ Finally giving intentional Tangled vibes #rapunzelbread #tangledvibes #disneyprincess #breadart
Katrina- The Sourdough Mama

Katrina- The Sourdough Mama

2764 likes

8 HOUR SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPE
🍞🥖🥯🥐 ingredients: 300g active, bubbly sourdough starter 700g warm filtered water 1000g bread flour 20g salt combine starter and water until dissolved. mix in your flour until there are no more clumps. let your dough rest for 30 minutes. after the first 30 minute rest, add in your salt
LILIANA | SAHM 🕊️🫧🧺

LILIANA | SAHM 🕊️🫧🧺

542 likes

Let’s talk sourdough starter!!
⭐Recipe on my website! Link in bio! 👋 This is Zora my sourdough starter. I named her after Aunt Zora from my favorite TV show Frasier. She's about 1 year old. Zora loves being on a schedule. She's fed twice a day with a 12 hour window between feedings. I feed Zora at 8am and 8pm ever
Dawn Belle 🩷

Dawn Belle 🩷

2383 likes

Sourdough Starter 101!
Feeling intimated by your starter? Do not overthink it! If you feel like things aren’t going how you expect it I promise you, restarting is not worth it! My starter took almost a full month to establish due to environmental factors and climate. Have any other questions? Let’s chat! #My2024 #L
Starting Out Scrunchy

Starting Out Scrunchy

201 likes

Overproofed Sourdough
This video is about more than just overproofed sourdough, it’s about overcoming mistakes. Slowly moving all of my videos over from TT. This one had 2.1 million views as of 01/18/25. #sourdoughproofing #sourdoughfail #sourdoughbeginner #sourdough
The Wandering Weavers

The Wandering Weavers

1745 likes

Watch my colorful sourdough starter explode! 🤯
What candy does this remind you of? Comment below! #sourdoughart #sourdoughstarter #sourdough #sourdoughideas #colorful
Little Ranch Family🏠🪴🍞

Little Ranch Family🏠🪴🍞

3189 likes

Sourdough discard blueberry muffins 🫐
* 1 cup sourdough discard * 2 cups all-purpose flour * 1 cup granulated sugar * 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted * 2 large eggs * 1/2 cup milk * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract * 1 tablespoon baking powder * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries For The Optional Streusel Toppi
emma slick

emma slick

313 likes

🍪 Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies 🍪
✨ Easy Peasy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies!✨ Hey, cookie lovers! 🍋🍪 I've got the easiest and yummiest sourdough chocolate chip cookie recipe for you all! 😋✨ Perfectly soft and chewy with a tangy twist, these cookies are a game changer! 🍫🍪 🌟 Ingredients: -225g unsalted butter, diced
Hadlee Potarf

Hadlee Potarf

24 likes

Sourdough Discard Cheese-It’s 🧀
✨ Sourdough discard cheese-it’s! ✨ These are so yummy and so easy to make! They’re also super quick! ✨ These make for the perfect snack and aren’t packed full of unnecessary ingredients 🧀 ✨ These taste exactly like a store bought cheese it! #homemade #homemaderecipes #sourdough #sourdo
Taylor Smith

Taylor Smith

435 likes

Make “Cheater” sourdough with me!
I use a recipe by Jamielyn Nye (Iheartnaptime.net) I love this 3 ingredient Artisan Bread and make this instead of sourdough (I don’t have the patience or expertise for sourdough😂)
✨GraceGen✨

✨GraceGen✨

330 likes

🍕 Sourdough Pizza Toast Alert! 🍕🚨
Love pizza? Obsessed with sourdough? 🤤 Say no more! This Sourdough Pizza Toast will rock your world in less than 15 minutes. Here’s the recipe for your next favorite snack: 🥖 Ingredients: • Butter • Garlic powder • Oregano or Italian seasoning • Sourdough bread • Marinara sauce • Cheese (t
Tatyana

Tatyana

2207 likes

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough
I cut this way too early because I couldn’t wait! So good 😊 #sourdough #sourdoughbaking #sourdoughbread #sourdoughrecipe #sourdoughbreadbaker #brownsugar #brownsugarcinnamon #cinnamonswirl #cinnamon
Katlynsasselli

Katlynsasselli

392 likes

Meet “The B*tch”-my beloved sourdough starter🥰
Sourdough storytime! You’re gonna wanna hear this one guys…😅 #sourdoughforbeginners #sourdoughstarter #sourdough #sourdoughbread #anthonybourdain
Little Ranch Family🏠🪴🍞

Little Ranch Family🏠🪴🍞

5838 likes

Sourdough Recipe
I’m unsure what’s goong to happen with tiktok…so time to bring some of my videos over here and build a following. If you want to follow me there is @mrs.maker.of.the.home Standard 1 loaf sourdough recipe. 1 & 1/3 cups warm water 1 cup active sourdough starter 3 cups all-purpose flour 1
Mrs. Maker of the Home

Mrs. Maker of the Home

822 likes

Sourdough Rolls Recipe
Recipe 💕 https://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/sourdough-rolls/ Many sourdough enthusiasts often wonder what to do with their discard, but our solution is both delicious and straightforward. This Sourdough Rolls Recipe guarantees a tangy twist to traditional dinner rolls. If you’ve ever been hesitant a
Julie Clark

Julie Clark

408 likes

Sourdough Essentials
If you are wanting to get started on your sourdough journey, it can seem very overwhelming. I remember when I first started I would watch video after video of sourdough tutorials. I want to do what I can to make this easier for you. For the Starter - whether you are making your own starter or j
Kaylee | SAHM of 2

Kaylee | SAHM of 2

173 likes

Garlic Bread Sourdough Foccacia
This is my most favorite recipe yet! I used the Foccacia recipe I had made before and switched it to a savory garlic flavor. This is truly incredible!! I highly recommend making this! I parked it with baked spaghetti and it was the perfect combo! Full recipe below. Ingredients: 1 cup warm wate
hayley

hayley

216 likes

A baking sheet holds unbaked sourdough breadsticks, seasoned with herbs and salt, ready for baking. The image has a text overlay that reads "SOUR DOUGH breadsticks Recipe" with an arrow, and a Lemon8 watermark.
This image displays the first page of a recipe for Sourdough Discard Breadsticks, detailing total time, prep time, cook time, rise time, cuisine, course, servings, and a comprehensive list of ingredients for both the breadsticks and their topping.
The second page of the Sourdough Discard Breadsticks recipe provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for preparing and baking the breadsticks, including kneading, rising, shaping, and baking times, along with keywords for the recipe.
Sourdough Breasticks
✨ Swipe for recipe! ✨ I switched out the sourdough discard & yeast and used my active sourdough starter! 👍Pros: taste amazing, little ingredients, can add whatever seasonings you’d like, made in the same day 🤔Cons: longer rise time when using active starter compared to yeast & discar
Taylor Smith

Taylor Smith

149 likes

A glass jar containing a sourdough starter, covered with a patterned cloth and secured, sits on a kitchen counter. The image is titled 'Sourdough Starter' and indicates 'Day 1' of the process, with a lit candle in the background.
Sourdough Starter!
If you’ve considered doing a sourdough starter- let’s do it together! I got a fool proof recipe from a friend of mine, and I can’t wait to start trying new recipes with it.💗 RECIPE: ✨Day 1: Mix 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water. You’re gonna want to mix that sucker harder than you’ve ever m
Emerald.💗

Emerald.💗

541 likes

Basic Sourdough Recipe 🥰
Edgar Allen Dough is READY 😁 #sourdoughbread #sourdoughstarter #sourdoughrecipe #foodie #bakingbread
seashellexplore

seashellexplore

907 likes

A close-up shot of golden-brown, square sourdough discard crackers, sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds. The crackers have a crispy texture and small holes, showcasing their delicious appearance.
Easy Sourdough Discard Crackers
🧀 Ingredients (Makes about 40 small crackers) 1 cup (240g) sourdough discard (unfed, room temp) 3 tbsp olive oil or melted butter ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour ¼ tsp fine sea salt (plus extra for topping) ½ tsp garlic powder or dried herbs (optional) Flaky salt, sesame seeds, or ros
Recipesim

Recipesim

139 likes

fool-proof sourdough
this is my go-to sourdough recipe. it's perfect as a beginner loaf or adding mix-ins 🥖💕 #sourdough #sourdoughlife #sourdoughrecipe #easysourdough #bread
Emily Lauren

Emily Lauren

142 likes

A hand holds a freshly baked, round sourdough loaf with decorative scoring and a flour-dusted crust. An overlay reads "SOURDOUGH FOR BEGINNERS" and "SWIPE FOR RECIPE."
A hand holds a large slice of sourdough bread, revealing its airy, open crumb texture. Another baked loaf is partially visible in the background on a kitchen counter.
A whole, round sourdough loaf with a golden-brown crust sits on a wooden cake stand, covered by a clear glass cloche in a kitchen setting.
Sourdough for Beginners 🥖
this is NOT my recipe, I have been unable to find the original creator but it has been posted several times in a sourdough for beginners Facebook group I’m in and I figured I’d give it a shot!! It turned out so good but I will be making some adjustments next time ☺️ #sourdoughforbeginners #sourd
allison ♡︎

allison ♡︎

444 likes

Turn Your Sourdough Discard into a Treat!
Waste Not Want Not. Instead of trashing your weekly sourdough, turn it into delicious cinnamon rolls. #sourdoughdiscard #sourdoughdiscardrecipe #sourdough #breakfast #yummy #comfortfood #breakfastrecipes #homemade #homebaker #homesteadinglife
HerLightAtHome

HerLightAtHome

91 likes

Sourdough pretzels
Ingredients: • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar • 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast • 200 grams (about 3/4 cup) sourdough starter (unfed, room temp) • 4 cups all purpose flour • salt • 4 tablespoons melted butter Directions: 1. Whisk the water, sugar, and
Ivy

Ivy

126 likes

Sourdough fail
I’ve done everything short of reading her bedtime stories 🫠 #sourdough #sourdoughstarter #homebaking #breadtok #bakingfail
Sarina Agarwal

Sarina Agarwal

42 likes

A freshly baked, round sourdough loaf with a golden-brown crust and flour dusting, resting on a metal cooling rack. The loaf has visible scoring marks on its surface. Text overlays read "SOURDOUGH" and "SO yummy!".
my first successful sourdough loaf!
I tried several times to make sourdough and the crust was always too hard and the inside was always too dense. Finally, I told myself I was overthinking it. So I put away the food scale and stopped using an online recipe. I wanted to have fun learning how to make bread, so I threw out all rules
Roni Layfield

Roni Layfield

45 likes

Quick Sourdough Discard Bread (Dutch Oven Method)
Ingredients: • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting) • 1 ½ cups warm water • ½ cup sourdough discard (unfed, room temperature) • 1¾ tsp instant yeast • 2 tsp sea salt • 2 ice cubes (for baking) Instructions: 1. Make the
Tayler Kopperud

Tayler Kopperud

165 likes

Cranberry Brie Sourdough Pull-Apart bread 🥖
Cranberry Brie Sourdough Pull-Apart bread 🥖 Ingredients: 1 large round loaf of sourdough bread 8 oz Brie cheese, cut into small cubes 1/2 cup cranberry sauce (homemade or store-bought) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme) 1/2 te
Aesthetic Food & Places To Go!

Aesthetic Food & Places To Go!

192 likes

A baking sheet is filled with numerous golden-brown sourdough discard pretzel bites, some visibly sprinkled with salt. The text 'sourdough discard pretzel bites' is overlaid on the image, identifying the baked goods.
sourdough discard pretzel bites
FOR THE DOUGH - 1C water - 1T brown sugar - 2t salt - 1.25t active dry yeast - 200g sourdough discard - 567g all purpose flour - 4T butter, melted FOR BOILING MIXTURE - 10C water - 2/3C baking soda EGG WASH/TOPPING - 1 egg yolk - salt *everything bagel seasoning, cinnamon sugar,
Anna Robben

Anna Robben

309 likes

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
200 g active sourdough starter 170 g warm water 180 g warm milk 45 g melted butter 100 g granulated sugar 1 tsp salt 1 beaten egg 675g bread flour Flour for kneading Lamination 1/4 cup softened butter Cinnamon Sugar Filling 1 cup Brown Sugar 2 tbsp Cinnamon Frosting 1/2 cup Sof
homemadesweetlittlethings

homemadesweetlittlethings

34 likes

A close-up shot of several homemade sourdough bagels on parchment paper, some plain and some topped with everything bagel seasoning. The image has text overlays that read "Homemade Sourdough Bagels."
A digital scale in a clear glass bowl shows 150g of sourdough starter, ready to be used for the bagel recipe. The text overlay confirms "150g sourdough starter."
A clear glass bowl contains water, salt, and sugar, with a whisk resting inside. A bag of granulated sugar is visible in the background. The text overlay lists "250g filtered water 9g salt 12g sugar."
Homemade Sourdough
Bagels are my daughter’s favorite breakfast and I’ve always been so intimidated to make them myself. Until I found this recipe: Ingredients: - 150g sourdough starter - 250g room-temperature filtered water - 9g salt - 12g sugar - 500g unbleached APF - Optional: honey Directions:
T A Y L O R 🌵☀️

T A Y L O R 🌵☀️

304 likes

Soft & Fluffy Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Thanksgiving dinner rolls. Soft, fluffy, decadent and sourdough! Sweet Stiff Starter: 40g sourdough starter 120g bread flour 50g water 20g sugar Dough: 325g bread flour 30g sugar 180g milk 1 large egg 10g salt All of the sweet stiff starter 75g butter, unsalted Instructions:
The Sourdough Lady

The Sourdough Lady

47 likes

Sourdough Starter - Day 1 & 2
Supplies: Glass jar w lid Paper towels Spoon to mix Ingredients: 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1/3 cup room temperature filtered water Directions so far: 1. Start by adding flour & water to the jar & mix. 2. Seal the top, but not all the way. You can sit the lid on top without
Jordan

Jordan

173 likes

Sourdough Sandwich Bread 🥪
This recipe makes 1 regular sized loaf! 🍞 Ingredients: 400 grams of bread flour 200 grams of water 100 grams of active starter 20 grams of honey 20 grams of olive oil 8 grams of salt (If you are a couple grams off of anything, it’s okay! Don’t stress 🫶🏻) Directions: 1. Combine everyt
Jordan

Jordan

391 likes

Overnight Sourdough Bread
While there’s nothing that quite compares to a fully developed loaf of sourdough bread, this overnight “sourdough” recipe is super delicious! It takes a lot less time and work, and after it’s made a few times, you’ll be a pro! If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at sourdough, this is the recipe
wyseguide

wyseguide

1177 likes

Easy, Healthy Sourdough Pizza Crust
Sourdough Pizza Crust 🍕 Sourdough pizza is a game changer! It is so easy, light on your gut, and you just feel so good after eating it! Plus the flavor is just chef’s kiss 😘 ‼️Be sure to like and save this recipe & follow @cookingkatielady for more easy and healthy recipes 🤗 👩🏻‍🍳ING
Katie 👩🏻‍🍳

Katie 👩🏻‍🍳

1367 likes

Sourdough Tortillas
- One of my main goals is to make all bread related products at home this year! - Today I made sourdough tortillas! - These have a corn tortilla texture but have their own yummy, fresh taste! - If you are also in your 🫧 Sourdough Era 🫧 I highly recommend making these! #sourdough #tortilla
Taylor Smith

Taylor Smith

51 likes

See more