Check the nutrition label and look for at least 11g of protein per 100g. Higher protein develops stronger gluten, giving you better rise and that satisfying chew.

You don't need to buy expensive specialty flour - you can find good Bakers Flour in most supermarkets:

- In Australia, we recommend Laucke Wallaby Bakers Flour or Defiance Bakers Flour.

- In the USA, look for King Arthur Bread Flour or Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour.

- In New Zealand, Champion High Grade Flour or Edmonds High Grade Flour are reliable options.

If possible, always use a digital kitchen scale.

Precision matters in baking, and weighing your flour, water, and starter in grams ensures consistent results every single time.

While you can bake your sourdough in a regular bread tin, a cast iron Dutch oven (like our ones!) is ideal for getting that blistered, crispy, bakery-style crust.

It's all about steam - baking your loaf inside a pre-heated Dutch oven with the lid on traps the moisture evaporating from the bread, creating the perfect steamy environment.

Always scrape down the inside walls of your jar after feeding. Leaving dried, crusty starter on the sides can attract mould or harbour bad bacteria, which can compromise the health of your starter.

Use lukewarm water (around 24-27°C / 75-80°F) when feeding your starter - this keeps fermentation predictable. Avoid water hotter than 40°C (104°F), which can kill the yeast and bacteria in your starter.

A fermenting starter releases carbon dioxide, and a tightly sealed jar has nowhere for that pressure to go. If you're using a lid on your starter jar, ensure that you put it loosely (or just use the fabric cover in your pack) to let gases escape and avoid a messy explosion.

Sourdough is notoriously wet and sticky. Keep a small bowl of water nearby and dampen your hands before handling the dough for your stretch-and-folds; the dough will slide right off your skin.

Recipes will always provide guide timelines, but keep in mind that sourdough operates on its own schedule dictated by your kitchen's temperature and humidity. Warm conditions speed fermentation up; cold conditions slow it down - so in winter, expect things to take longer than the recipe suggests.

Learn to look for physical signs of readiness - like a jiggly texture, bubbles, or a smooth dome - rather than strictly following a recipe's suggested timeline.

Rice flour prevents sticking far better than wheat flour. Dust your banneton proofing basket generously before placing your shaped dough inside, so it releases cleanly when you tip it out for scoring and baking.

Trying to score room-temperature dough is like trying to slice through warm butter. Doing a final proof of your shaped dough in the fridge firms it up nicely, making it much easier to achieve clean, confident cuts before baking.

This may be the most difficult to follow tip of all... but if you can, avoid the temptation to slice right into your freshly baked loaf. Ideally, wait at least an hour. The crumb is still setting, and slicing too early leaves you with a gummy interior.

It is a reality of baking: your first few loaves might be dense or misshapen. We like to think of these as loaves with 'personality' :)

Sourdough has a learning curve, but the good news is that even the "failures" usually taste absolutely fantastic when toasted and slathered in butter.