I've been making sourdough for over a year now, and I don't see myself stopping any time soon. The sourdough baking process is therapeutic, the bread itself is healthier than store-bought, and keeping my starter alive makes me feel like I've got a little yeasty pet.
Earlier this week, Vogue proclaimed sourdough as the "hottest accessory" of 2026, and for good reason. Taylor Swift, the Haim sisters, and Sombr have all been spotted recently sporting a handbag-adjacent loaf of sourdough.
But how can you ride this trend train? Don't worry — I've been through the sourdough trenches with countless failed loaves, but now all my breads are successful. And it's all because of the fantastic Sourhouse DoughBed, a genius product that is the secret to perfect sourdough every single time.
Steady temp, steady proof
The first thing you should know about sourdough is that the proof isn't in the pudding, it's in the, well... proof.
You might've heard of a "bulk ferment". This is the first rise, when the bread should turn from a shaggy or sticky dense ball to a light, airy dough. It should double in size.
The most common error for newbie sourdough bakers is that they don't let their dough rise for long enough, resulting in a gummy or dense texture.
I used to scream with frustration when I cut into my loaves to see they were just as gummy and dense as the one before. Take a look at the first sourdough I ever made.
Although not as bad as it could be, this loaf doesn't have the all-important "oven spring" (when the top rises dramatically), has uneven bubbles, and a gummy sheen. This is because I eyeballed the proof in a cold kitchen, two major no-nos when making sourdough.
This is a photo of the first loaf I made with the DoughBed, a few months later. This is made with wholemeal flour, so it'll naturally look different from the previous loaf.
While still not perfect — I'm not claiming to be the best baker in the world, not by a long shot — the second loaf is much better. You can see the even bubbles, the tall "ear", and the golden crust.
This is all due to the proof. With the DoughBed, I'm able to achieve consistent results, rather than guessing with each loaf. The DoughBed keeps your dough at 75-82ºF for hours. It'll only turn off when you turn it off.
As my apartment gets quite cold during the winter, I've had my DoughBed on for around eight hours before, which was long enough to prove a 4-pound double-batch of dough.
I couldn't live without my Sourhouse DoughBed. If you want to dip your toes into the overwhelming world of sourdough, mastering the bulk fermentation is the first step. With the DoughBed, you're already halfway there.
If you want to get into sourdough in 2026, you might want to find out more about keeping your starter alive, or look into smart gadgets that can feed your starter automatically.
Me, though? I only bother with the Sourhouse DoughBed.
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