Before fermentation, before shaping, before baking—there's mixing. It might seem like a simple step, but it is one of the most important foundations for incredible bread. Mixing is where structure begins. It’s where flour, water, and starter start to become dough.
Let’s dig into why mixing matters so much, the biology behind it, and how to master it in your own baking.
Why Mixing Matters
Mixing does four critical things:
Hydrates the flour
Begins gluten development
Distributes sourdough starter (or commercial yeast) and salt evenly
Creates air pockets where gases will be trapped during fermentation
All four are essential for a dough that is strong enough to rise well and hold its shape, but still tender and open in the crumb.
The Science of Mixing
A good mix is the foundation of great bread. It jumpstarts the development of the gluten network by fully hydrating the flour, allowing proteins (glutenin and gliadin) to link up and form strong, elastic bonds. These bonds are what give your dough strength and structure — and that structure, like a net, is what traps the gases produced during fermentation, creating a beautiful open crumb.
A proper mix also distributes the sourdough starter (or commercial yeast in yeasted breads) evenly throughout the dough, ensuring consistent fermentation. When everything is well combined, the dough ferments more predictably and bakes more evenly.
Mixing also helps create tiny air pockets within the dough — the perfect spaces for fermentation gases to get trapped and expand. These pockets are the beginning of the crumb structure, and without them, the dough won’t rise as beautifully or bake as light.
Everything works in harmony when the mix is right.
What happens if we don’t mix the dough well?
When the mix isn’t sufficient, the opposite happens: some flour stays dry and unhydrated, leading to clumps in the dough. The gluten network still forms, but it’s weaker and less connected, so the dough won’t hold gas as well. The starter or yeast won’t be evenly distributed, which can make fermentation less predictable, cause uneven rising and an irregular crumb.
What happens if we over mix the dough?
On the other hand, over mixing — which is unlikely by hand, and happens mostly when using mechanical mixers — can cause over-oxidation. This breaks down carotenoids (the natural pigments in flour), leading to bleached-looking dough and a loss of flavor and aroma.
Too much mixing can also tighten the dough excessively, making it less extensible and harder to shape, and if continued, will lead to the gluten network to weaken and begin breaking, resulting in dough that is unable to hold shape, trap gas, and ends up as a flat, dense loaf.
But I really don’t want you to worry about over mixing by hand or by using a mixer for a few short minutes. It’s highly unlikely.
In short: mixing is about balance. You want to mix enough to fully hydrate the flour, build strength, and create cohesion — but not so much that you overwork the dough.
In sourdough baking, we often lean toward gentle mixing and allow gluten to develop gradually through rest (via autolyse, fermentolyse, or the rest periods between folds, shaping, etc) and strengthening folds (coil folds or stretch-and-folds).
The Role of Autolyse and Fermentolyse
Before we chat about how to mix, there’s an important step (or two) that can make a huge difference in how your dough behaves.
Autolyse
This is when you mix just the flour and water, and let it rest before adding the sourdough starter and salt.
During this resting period — typically 20 minutes to 1 hour, although I have heard of bakers doing overnight autolyse — the flour fully hydrates, and enzymes in the flour begin breaking down proteins and starches. This jumpstarts gluten development and improves extensibility (the dough’s ability to stretch), making your final dough easier to mix and shape.
Autolyse was popularized by French baker Professor Raymond Calvel.
Fermentolyse
In this version, the starter is added at the same time as the water and flour — only the salt is held back. This still allows gluten to begin forming but also lets fermentation begin early — not slowed down by the salt — which makes the dough easier to mix and shape, and can be helpful when baking on a tighter schedule.
Mixing Techniques for Sourdough
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