Bake-Keeper Diagnostic Hub

What’s Wrong With My Loaf?

Cut it open, look at what’s actually in front of you, and click the one that matches. No guessing which of five categories your problem falls under — start with the symptom.

Every card below goes straight to a full, specific fix — not another menu.

Start Here: The Most Common Problems

If you’re not sure where to look, these four cover most of what goes wrong
Starter Flat sourdough starter with no bubbles in a glass jar
My starter won’t bubble or rise
Start here
Rise Sourdough dough proofing in a bowl under a cloth with a room thermometer
My dough won’t rise during bulk or proof
Start here
Crumb Dense, gummy sourdough crumb
My crumb looks gummy or dense
Start here
Crust Thick, tough sourdough crust
My crust is rock-hard or tough to cut
Start here

Starter Problems

Something’s off in the jar
4 guides
Sourdough starter with a layer of dark hooch liquid on top
Runny, watery, with a layer of liquid on top
Start here
Sluggish, settled sourdough starter in a jar
Smells like nail polish or vinegar
Start here
Sourdough starter float test in a glass of water
Not sure if it’s actually ready to bake with
Start here
Flat sourdough starter with no bubbles in a glass jar
Flat, no bubbles, hasn’t moved in days
Start here

Crumb & Texture

Cut it open — what’s inside?
3 guides
Sliced sourdough loaves comparing dense and open crumb
Dense and heavy all the way through
Start here
Dense, gummy sourdough crumb
Gummy or wet-looking after baking
Start here
Sticky, wet sourdough dough being stretched by hand
Dough itself is sticky and wet before baking
Start here

Crust & Shape

Look at the outside of the loaf
3 guides
Thick, tough sourdough crust
Crust so hard it’s tough to cut
Start here
Sourdough loaf slice with a dark, burnt bottom crust
Bottom burnt but the middle’s still raw
Start here
Flat, spread-out sourdough loaf
Spreads flat instead of holding its shape
Start here

Rise & Structure

Something happened during proofing
3 guides
Sourdough dough proofing in a bowl under a cloth with a room thermometer
Dough isn’t rising during bulk or final proof
Start here
Blown-out ear on a baked sourdough loaf
Can’t tell if it’s over- or under-proofed
Start here
Scored raw sourdough loaf ready to bake on a tray
Deflated the moment I scored it
Start here

Baking in Heat & Humidity

Florida kitchen? Start here — climate changes the fix
3 guides
Active, bubbly sourdough starter in a jar
Starter acting totally different since it got hot out
Start here
Baked sourdough loaf wrapped in a linen cloth
Goes soft or moldy within a day or two
Start here
Healthy, open sourdough crumb
Want the humidity science, not just a fix
Start here
Prefer paper?

Print & tape it up

Two free, no-signup references built for the kitchen counter instead of a screen.

Reading Your Bread (visual guide) Printable Quicksheets
Fixed it? Prevent it next time

Check the numbers

Hydration, timing, and starter math — four free calculators, no account needed.

Open the Sourdough Calculator
Curious why?

Go deeper with the science

Once your loaf is fixed, this is the section that explains the chemistry behind why it happened.

Browse Sourdough Science
Fixed it once? Make it routine.

Build a schedule that fits your day

Answer three quick questions and get the exact bake-day timeline — 9-to-5, weekend, or hot-kitchen — that fits how you actually live.

Find Your Sourdough Schedule