Hello there, I’m Maurizio, an author and software engineer turned baker, crafting sourdough bread and pizza in Albuquerque, New Mexico for over a decade. Growing up in an Italian family, our lives revolved around good food made by hand. From my dad’s restaurant pizzas to my mom’s homemade gnocchi, I learned to appreciate slow, homemade food. Summers in Italy, filled with family meals and fresh bread hunts, further shaped this value.
The Perfect Loaf, which I founded in 2013, combines my analytical mind with my passion for good food and shares my sourdough journey. Sourdough bread embodies my belief that exceptional taste comes from patience and natural processes. It’s not about complicated techniques, but about giving flavors time to develop.
Here, I aim to help you become a better baker, as I constantly evolve in the kitchen. I’m constantly learning, experimenting, and sharing insights – because if I’m not baking sourdough, I’m probably thinking about it, always in pursuit of that elusive perfect loaf.
He strives for perfection, for the perfect loaf, secretly hoping never to attain it — for where would he go from there?
Jeffrey Hamelman
If you have a burning baking question, I usually hang out with many like-minded—and very helpful!—bakers on The Perfect Loaf’s Discord, where you can post questions, comments, and photos. Come join the community and ask a question.
Or, email Maurizio directly.
The Perfect Loaf is the leading independent sourdough baking website and was launched in 2013 by home baker Maurizio Leo.
The Perfect Loaf is a two-time Saveur Magazine Blog Award winner, winning both Editors’ and Readers’ Choice Awards in 2016, and a Readers’ Choice Award in 2018. In 2019, The Perfect Loaf was nominated for a Webby Award.
In 2022, Maurizio’s cookbook, The Perfect Loaf: The Craft and Science of Sourdough Breads, Sweets, and More, made the New York Times’ bestseller list.
The Perfect Loaf cookbook won a 2023 James Beard Foundation Book Award in the Bread category and a 2023 IACP Cookbook Award in the Baking category.
As an Amazon Influencer, The Perfect Loaf earns from qualifying purchases. Please see the policy for more.
477 Comments
Wonderful site and resource! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and helping others. I knew you must’ve had a software developer background when I first saw `WaterTemp` in your FDT equation 🙂 Congrats on the app, as well—did you do that yourself?
Thanks Maurizio! That makes perfect sense.
Hey, Mary. The amount of flour and water you use for your starter feedings can be anything you want, just be sure you’re keeping the percentages the same if you want to keep the same feeding ratios.
For example, if you’re feeding 20g starter, 100g flour, 100g water (baker’s math: 20% starter, 100% flour, and 100% water), and want to increase the quantity, you could double everything to 40g starter, 200g water, 200g flour — this would still maintain the percentages 20/100/100. Of course you don’t have to double or triple, you can increase by smaller amounts as well, you’d just have to work out the math to figure out the weights for each that would still satisfy the percentages.
I hope that makes sense, let me know if it’s still confusing!
Maurizio, I have a question about how to increase the amount of my sourdough starter. At present, I am following your basic starter recipe and feeding my starter twice daily. With the amounts of starter, flour and hydration I am using, I usually have about 3/4 cup of cast off with each feed. I have found some recipes I would like to make using my cast off starter but most of them require at least 1 cup of starter. What measurements would you suggest I use if I would like my starter to result in a little more starter with each feeding?
Maurizio, STRONG WORK brother. This blog is amazing. No other book or online resource I’ve read has as much detail about equipment, technique, and flour. Any additional information about central milling type 85? I know it’s not quite whole wheat but not fully refined either. Would it be fair to compare it to the composition of flour in your 50/50 recipe? Have you ever baked bread with 100% type 85?
Also, I live at 7400 ft, above Lake Tahoe. The air here is quite dry. Any suggestions for adjustments?
I used to believe Type 85 was easily substituted by a blend of 50% bread flour and 50% whole wheat, but I’ve since found out that Type 85 (at least from Central Milling where I source) is more like 33-35% whole wheat and the rest white. I’ve actually not done a 100% type 85 loaf but that would be excellent, I’m sure! It’s one of my favorite “types” of flour.
I live a mile up, so somewhat close to you. Typically I see my bakes require a bit more water than others and I have to bake hotter and longer to achieve a nice, dark crust. Additionally, I can usually get away with using less pre-fermented flour (levain %) — but this is also very dependent on your starter/levain and other conditions!
That’s great to know! And I’ve subscribed to your newsletter and am looking forward to a baking class. Altitude has interesting effects on bread baking, I’ve quickly learned.
That’s definitely a true statement! Looking forward to hearing about your future bakes, keep me posted on how it’s going.
Hey! Very cool. All my recipes should work perfectly for you. As always, though, every oven is different so keep that in mind when following my baking times and temperatures — keep an eye on that dough! Happy to have you here in ABQ, such a great city. Happy baking!
Hi! I recently moved to Albuquerque from sea level and am adjusting to high altitude baking. Are your recipes adapted to the altitude already or do I need to make adjustments (reduce starter, increase flour, etc.)?
Hey Maurizio,
You’ve probably gotten this before, but do you ever do in-person workshops for us ABQ folks? I have a strong feeling my home baking skills would jump (or rise?) leaps and bounds from a single or half day class from you. Thanks!
Hey, George! Yes, I’ve been asked quite a bit for more classes. Please sign up for my newsletter (there’s a “subscribe” button at the top right of this page), I’ll definitely announce to the list when a class comes up! You’re definitely right, there’s nothing like even just a single day of hands on instruction. Happy baking!
I do! you can subscribe to my newsletter here. Happy baking, Susie!
Do you have a newsletter?
Hi Maurizio,
I’ve been trying to understand and create SD breads for about 3 years: read at least half a dozen books from some high profile bread writers, and tried all their methods – for some reason, they never quite worked out. Baking artisanal loaves using commercial yeasts and conventional rise and proof times were fine (eg: Jim Lahey’s no-knead worked great) but I know I was missing the real thing: beautiful crumbs, and deep coloured crusts, and just the powerful taste of sourdough from wild yeasts. I came across TPL a few months ago and it was like magic: the first loaf I made was like a dream – so beautiful, aromatic and tasty. I’m not sure why your method works, but I have to say your steps are clear, precise and right on. So: Grazie!
Question: oven temp is obviously highly critical – I know from having forgotten to turn down the temp just 25 degrees once for the 2nd half of a bake and having a blackened, carbon-y charcoal crust. But how confident are you in the temp control on your oven? Would you recommend using a temp gauge placed in the rack before putting the dough in? Or are the temps in your recipes just based on your oven?
Thanks,
smasharts
Sorry for the late reply and I’m so happy to hear my recipes have been working so well for you! Sometimes it just takes a little adjustment here or there to really change the outcome — and of course, a sourdough starter used at the right time and the right strength is very critical.
Yes, I would definitely recommend using an oven thermometer in there if you have one. I’ve tested my oven in the past and it was dead-on accurate, but there’s always that chance it’s drifted over the years. Regardless, it’s always important to take a look at the times and temps with any baking recipe and prepare to adjust them to some degree in your home oven. Altitude differences and oven differences will almost always require some type of adjustment in your home oven. My suggestion is to keep an eye on the dough at all times during the first few test bakes to see how things go. Then, if you notice my recipes are a little too hot for you (this is common because I’m at 5280 ft) take off some of the heat for all the recipes you see here.
I wish there was a better way to ensure consistent bakes for everyone, but that’s the name of the game with baking: adjustments, adjustments, adjustments 🙂
I hope this helps and happy baking!
Hey, Martine. You shouldn’t have to oil and flour the sides of the pan, when I use a pan that doesn’t have non-stick I’ll just oil it thoroughly to ensure it removes cleanly. Hope this helps!
Thanks Maurizio
I tried your suggestion of moving the pizza steel to the bottom of the oven and I got a much less blackened base of my loaves. Perfecto!
Hi Maurizio
Firstly I would like to whole heartedly thank you for your amazing blog. Every loaf to come out of my oven (I’m up to ten, two loaf bakes) has been guided by your recipes. Your attention to detail and passion are obvious and as a fellow engineer (civil rather than software) I appreciate the devil is in the details in getting a simple yet complex process to be successful. I can say I have only had 2 of my 20 loaves fail – both due to human error – one during shaping, knocking all the air out and producing a tasty if not very vertically challenged loaf; the other fail was forgetting to put baking paper under one of my bakes! Doh!
I have a couple of questions that will hopefully fine tune my bakes. I am finding my loaves end up with a blackened bottom. I use a lodge combo cooker and feel that in order to cook the loaf the entire way through and get a crunchy top crust I am effectively burning the bottom. It still tastes good but once it is then toasted again to eat, it requires a strong jaw to tear into. I have also purchased a pizza steel at your recommendation for doing SD pizzas. I’m thinking for my next bake I could try placing the steel one tray level below the combo cooker as a thermal barrier (I use a conventional oven that heats from the bottom coil) as well as moving my combo cooker to the highest rack it will fit into to help prevent uneven heating.
Is this blackened base an inherent problem with this method of baking? I am yet to attempting baking bread on my pizza steel and steaming the oven. Would you recommend this method? I live in a rental with a less than ideal oven (poor seal, small, not very powerful – takes ages to recover after a bake of pizzas / bread) so I am concerned the self steaming method will loose too much heat.
Secondly I am currently using colanders lined with cloth rather than rattan proofing baskets. Would you recommend investing?
My next comment is that the world needs Maurizios take on the humble tortilla! I have been making SD tortillas weekly for the last three months. Quick, easy and they taste amazing – I would love to see your experience and accuracy used in coming up with your best recipe for this staple.
For a batch of 6
3/4 cup whole wheat
3/4 cup bread flour (or all purpose – these little guys aren’t picky)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons of fat – can use butter, coconut oil or lard
Leftover 100% hydration SD starter (a little under 200g)
Mix dry ingredients. Pinch or mix in fat. Pinch or mix in starter. Slowly add in water until it forms into a dough consistency. Leave to proof overnight in the fridge after and hour getting going on the bench. 4 hours in hot temps or 6-7 in cooler temps. Cool dough in fridge for easy shaping. Split, roll out and cook on a hot cast iron pan. Delicious!
Thanks again for all your work and providing everything I need to become well and truly addicted to naturally leavened baking!
Cheers
Nick Bennett
Vancouver, Canada
Nick, thanks so much for the kind words — I’m happy to hear my website has helped so much!
Regarding the burned bottom: try preheating the oven with the Dutch oven (DO) at a lower temperature to help reduce the bottom from burning too much. Perhaps preheat at 475ºF. If you still get a slightly burned bottom you could sprinkle in some coarse wheat germ or cornmeal into the DO before placing the dough inside, this will help insulate the dough just a bit.
I would also recommend you not place the DO directly on a baking stone. Try placing the stone on the bottom rack and then a few rungs up use another wire rack to hold the DO. This way you won’t get so much direct bottom heat from the heating element. The stone on the bottom will also act as a buffer and prevent too much immediate, direct heat from the element — it should radiate out more consistently through the bake.
In general, I notice when I use a DO to bake I tend to get a slightly more baked bottom than sides and top — this is just the nature of using the DO, in my experience.
Regarding the proofing baskets: any proofing basket will work well, but I do love proper bread baskets. Wicker or wood ones tend to let the dough breath better somehow. I’d say they’re worth the investment but not a super high priority.
Regarding the tortillas: thanks for sending over your recipe! I’ll try yours out soon. I’ve been practicing this for a while… I live in New Mexico and tortillas are a staple here, I should definitely have a recipe up at this point — I’ve been bad, I know. It’s high on the list of things to post!
Thanks again and happy baking, Nick!
HI Maurizio, I cannot seem to understand in your recipe…… (Note that the baker’s percentages listed below are with respect to the final dough ingredients and do not take into account the levain.)….. and how come the WEIGHT and BAKERS % dont match in your recipe, i sure don’t understand, can you please explain me, would much appreciate.
Hey there! That little note I prepend my Dough Mix table tries to explain that the numbers presented in that Dough Mix table represent just the final, dough mix without the levain — this is why the percentages might be a bit strange looking (like 78.43% instead of just 80%). In other words, the levain isn’t shown in that final table because I’ve broken it out into its own table above in each Levain Build section. The flour and water in the levain is still counted in my overall formula, it’s just shown as a separate table.
Usually when you see a table with a bread formula it’ll have the overall numbers and percentages, the levain numbers and percentages, and the final mix numbers and percentages. I’ve broken this up into two parts: the levain table and the final dough mix table. I did this because I see my posts are meant to be followed linearly from top to bottom. The levain comes first, then the dough mix.
I’ve thought about restructuring this a bit in the future to have a single table up top that has the entire formula laid out, and then later in the writeup bread out each section. This might avoid confusion some readers have!
I hope that makes sense and sorry about the confusion.
Glad to hear that, Don! Sounds like you’re on a roll now — sometimes it just takes changing one or two seemingly small things to send your baking in a new direction. Happy baking!
Maurizio, you are my hero. I have been making decent sourdough bread for about 3 years but not until I tried your formula and technique could I get an open crumb. I need to attempt it again soon to make sure it wasn’t just luck.
So you have probably seen both of these long ago, but just in case…have you seen Dan Barber’s talk on wheat? It is a Must See! The link is below. Also, the episode of Chef’s Table with Nancy Silverton.
Dan Barber at MAD2 on WHEAT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbdj76Og9HE
Thanks for posting that! Yes, I’ve seen both — incredibly inspiring and, actually, worth another view. Happy baking!
will be looking forward to it!
Love all your recipes, I was wondering if you have thought about coming up with a sourdough pretzel recipe?
Thanks, Wayne! I was actually just at a class where we made pretzels. I’m absolutely motivated to develop a recipe and post it here! Hopefully I’ll get to this soon. Thanks for the message!
Great to hear that, Heather!
The beginner’s recipe was a great success! Thanks for sharing, we love your site at probake!
Just had my first slice of avocado on homemade sourdough toast. Delicious, and definitely worth the extra patience! Thanks for the recipes and tips. I’m looking forward to experimenting with some new flavours!
Mmm, that sounds perfect! You’re very welcome and here’s to many more loaves!
Paul, thanks so much for the kind words and I’m really happy to hear that! Sounds like you have plenty of baking experience, that’s great. I’m confident once you taste your sourdough loaves you’ll happily stick with sourdough from here on out! Happy baking 🙂