The Sourdough School

BALM – Proven as one of the healthiest approaches to bread in the world.

Based in the walled gardens of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell's beautiful Victorian home in rural Northamptonshire, UK, we tutor individuals and train bakers and healthcare professionals in Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM). Personalising bread to your lifestyle, gut microbiome, and unique genetics for optimal health—tailoring fermentation, fibre, and diversity so that your daily bread becomes the foundation of your health.

+44(0)7813308301
[email protected]
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Troubleshooting Library

Estimated total time: 3 hours 10 mins.

open crumb sourdough

An Amazing Technique to Opening Up the Crumb – with Roller Milled Wholegrain Flour

What If I am Having a Problem with My Baking?

Big holes in Sourdough

Why Aren’t I Getting Big Holes?

My Top Tips to Bake Great Sourdough Baguettes

flat sourdough loaf

Why is my Sourdough Loaf Flat?

bubbles in sourdough starter

How to Recognise if a Sourdough Starter is Ready to Use?

Blending Flour

How to best add inclusions to sourdough

Vanessa Kimbell with a sourdough loaf

Why Do Things Go Wrong?

starter

Have I Killed My Sourdough Starter?

open crumb structure

Open Crumb Structure

Lessons in Troubleshooting Sourdough Starters

Oxidising and Over-oxidisation of Flour

Shaping Croissants & Pains Au Chocolat

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