The Home Sourdough Struggle Is Real

You’ve nurtured your starter for days. You shaped and scored your dough with care. Then you baked it —
...and pulled out a loaf with a pale bottom and barely any rise.

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone.

Many home bakers face the same issue. The truth is, even the best recipe won’t help if your oven can’t deliver the heat your sourdough needs.

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Why Most Ovens Fail at Baking Sourdough Bread

Home ovens were built for convenience—not artisan results. Here's why they often fall short when it comes to baking sourdough:

• Inconsistent heat leads to uneven baking

• Rapid heat loss when you open the door

• Low thermal mass = weak oven spring and pale crusts

• Cold spots prevent full bottom bake

These are the most common home sourdough oven problems. And they're exactly what inspired us to create a better solution for home bakers.

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The Fix: Use a Baking Steel for Sourdough

After months of testing trays, stones, and cast iron pans, we found what actually works: steel.

And not just any steel — we created Cooking Steel, the best baking steel for bread and pizza, designed specifically to turn your home oven into a powerful, heat-retaining baking surface.

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Why Cooking Steel Is the Ultimate Sourdough Baking Tool

Here’s how Cooking Steel transforms your baking:

Even, Intense Bottom Heat

Steel is 18x more conductive than ceramic or stone. That means your loaf gets a quick, strong burst of heat from below—resulting in better oven spring and beautifully browned crust.

Extreme Heat Retention

It holds high temperatures even when you open your oven door. That’s crucial for baking sourdough bread consistently.

Fits Standard Ovens

Choose from multiple sizes and thicknesses (1/4", 3/8", 1/2") depending on your baking habits. Each steel ships shot-blasted and ready to season with our easy seasoning guide.

Multi-Use Tool

Use Cooking Steel for bread, pizza, pastries—or even on your grill. It’s your go-to baking surface for any heat-intensive recipe.

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Real Bakers, Real Results

We designed Cooking Steel because we were tired of soggy sourdough bottoms and lifeless crusts. Our low-carbon steel surface mimics the heavy decks used in artisan bakeries, but made for your home oven.

Thousands of bakers have already upgraded their sourdough results—will you?

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How to Start Baking Better Bread at Home

If you're wondering how to bake sourdough bread with a crispy bottom, golden crust, and perfect rise, here's your answer: start with the right surface.

With Cooking Steel, you’ll:

• Bake better sourdough from day one

• Stop worrying about cold spots and soft crusts

• Finally get that “crackling crust” moment when your loaf cools

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? Need help choosing the right one?
Check out our Steel Sizing Guide →