Bulk fermentation doesn’t fail randomly.
It responds—very predictably—to the inputs you give it.
Most bakers think of bulk fermentation as something you watch or wait out, and that's true to an extent. But in reality, bulk is decided long before the dough ever hits the counter. And the biggest drivers aren’t exotic techniques or secret timings—they’re everyday factors hiding in plain sight.
Here are three of them:
1. Starter Health: The Foundation Everything Sits On
Your starter isn’t just an ingredient. It’s the biological engine that runs the entire process.
Many bakers think their starter is healthy because it rises, smells pleasant, or has been around for years. But strength, balance, and predictability matter far more than survival. A starter that’s inconsistently fed, poorly timed, or nutritionally depleted will produce equally inconsistent fermentation—no matter how good the rest of your process is.
If bulk fermentation feels unpredictable, the first place to look isn’t the dough. It’s the culture you’re asking to do the work.
Consistency in feeding, timing, and environment creates consistency in fermentation. There’s no shortcut around that.
2. Temperature: Accounting for It Is Good. Controlling It Is Transformational.
Most bakers notice temperature. Fewer account for it. Very few actively control it.
Temperature governs yeast activity, LAB behavior, enzyme action—everything that unfolds during bulk. Simply knowing the room is “warm” or “cool” helps a little. But once you start measuring dough temperature and intentionally steering it, fermentation stops feeling mysterious and starts behaving reliably.
This is the difference between reacting to bulk fermentation and directing it.
Consistency doesn’t come from guessing. It comes from repeatable thermal conditions.
3. Documentation: The Skill No One Wants—but Everyone Needs
If you don’t write it down, it didn’t happen.
Memory smooths over details. Notes expose patterns.
Documenting what you did—starter condition, temperatures, timings, dough feel—creates a living record of your process. Over time, it shows you what actually works for your environment, not someone else’s kitchen, on Instagram.
This is how improvement becomes intentional instead of accidental.
Consistency isn’t about doing the same thing forever. It’s about making small, informed adjustments from a stable baseline—and documentation is what makes that possible.
The Common Thread: Consistency Beats Intensity
Most fermentation problems aren’t caused by doing the “wrong” thing. They’re caused by doing too many different things, all the time.
Healthy starter. Controlled temperature. Written records.
None of these are flashy. All of them compound.
Get these three aligned, and bulk fermentation stops feeling chaotic—and starts doing exactly what you set it up to do.
Join us this Friday, Jan 9, for our first BREAD TALK of 2026 on this exact topic. We'll take a closer look at the 3 keys, give you a controversial fourth!, answer your questions, and share ideas for overcoming blocks to success.
BREAD TALK happens on Google Meet. Official Geeks, check your Inbox (and/or spam folder) for an email invitation with the link to join. We also post it in the private 'Members Only' Sourdough Geeks Facebook group. For those unable to attend in real-time, the recording will be available in your Library.
🤓 NON-MEMBERS Make 2026 the year you went from 'Hit or Miss Home Baker', to 'Neighborhood Sourdough Legend' Become an Official Geek for just $5/month (or $50/year) and unlock the good stuff: free courses, video tutorials, live bake-alongs, secret recipes, tasty discounts, our private geek HQ, and BREAD TALK — our twice-monthly, real-time video hangouts.
