Hello! If you're here, you may have discovered a typo or error in my cookbook, The Perfect Loaf, The Craft and Science of Sourdough Breads, Pastry, and More. Despite countless editing passes and multiple sets of eyes on my cookbook, the reality is when you have tens of thousands of words and over 400 pages of sourdough bread baking; there are bound to be some errors that creep through.
Let me be the first to apologize for these making their way into my final cookbook! As an author, it breaks my heart, but as a pragmatic person (and baker), I realize it was always possible. I hope the corrections below help, and if you receive a later printing of my book, many, if not all, of them should be fixed.
On this page, you'll find all of the errors we've discovered since publication day, November 18th, 2022. The errors are listed in order of page number, starting with the lowest page numbers.
Sourdough Starter Creation Errata
Page 34 — Creation Process inside Create Your Sourdough Starter
There is a typo in the CREATION PROCESS chart for days 4, 5, and 6.
Follow the ratios and weights on pages 34 and 35 under the Day 3 and Day 4 headings instead of the numbers in the chart for days 4, 5, and 6. The chart has a typo there for those weights.
So for days 4, 5, and 6, the ingredients in the chart (and your starter jar) should be:
75g carryover
50g rye flour
50g white flour
115g water
The same as days 2 and 3.
NOTE: If you have already begun the starter creation process and have used the incorrect ingredient weights from the table, DO NOT WORRY, your starter is not dead or harmed. Pick back up with the days 4, 5, and 6 steps as outlined above and continue with the process.
Proofing Errata
Page 115 — Retarding (In the Refrigerator)
The temperature in the first paragraph should say 46°F / 8°C.
Recipes Errata
Page 154 — Fifty-Fifty
The levain for this recipe is liquid (100% hydration), so it should say that it's quite loose instead of kneading with your hands (as you would with a stiff levain). It should read:
In a medium jar, mix the levain ingredients until well incorporated (this liquid levain will feel quite loose) and loosely cover.
Page 158 — Twenty-Five Rye
In the mix step, it never says when to add the other half of the water. It should say:
MIX THE DOUGH: To the autolyse, add about half of the water, the salt, and ripe
levain. Using wet hands, mix the ingredients until well incorporated. If the dough
feels very wet, slack, and loose, don’t add the remaining water. Otherwise, add the
rest of the water and continue to mix until the dough comes together and all the
water is absorbed.
Page 170 — Sunflower and Sesame
The ADD THE TOPPING paragraph should say: (See Add Toppings to Your Bread Dough, page 105, for more detail.)
Page 175 — Rosemary and Olive Oil
In the bake step under SCORE THE DOUGH, it should not say to take one of the proofing baskets out of the fridge because they are never in there.
Page 226 — Five Grain Sourdough
This levain can be extraordinarily stiff and dry for some bakers, especially if they use freshly milled flour. The correction says to add a bit more water to the levain until it's loose and workable.
Page 245 — Country Italian
In the SCORE THE DOUGH step, the dough is not in the refrigerator (it was proofed at room temp). Just uncover the dough, score, and proceed.
Page 270 — Pain de Mie
In the levain step, the levain needs to ripen overnight for 12 hours, not 5 hours.
Page 296 — Sourdough Pizza Dough
In the baking step under SHAPE THE CRUST, it should not say to remove the dough ball from the fridge; they are never in the fridge. It should read:
Flour a work surface and the top of one of the dough balls.
Page 336 — Soft Dinner Rolls
In the baking step, the initial oven temperature should be 400°F (200°C), not 425°F (220°C).
Page 406 — Cinnamon Babka
In the mixing step, it says to add half the sugar. Instead, add all of the sugar at the start of mixing.
What's next?
Again, sorry for these errors in my cookbook! I hope they don't cause too much trouble, and if they do or you have any questions at all, please email me on my about page.