Video tutorials are such a valuable tool for learning new skills today, and if you want to learn how to make sourdough bread, videos can be your best friend. You don’t even have to sign up for an online course or cooking class to learn how to make sourdough bread, you can get started for free right on YouTube!
With the millions of YouTube channels out there, it can be hard to know who the best sourdough teachers are. It’s also hard to know what the most helpful videos are once you’ve found the best teachers, especially if you’re a beginner. So, in this post, I’ll try to simplify things for you. I’ll be going through what I believe are the best sourdough YouTube channels in 2021.
My Criteria for Naming the BEST Sourdough YouTube Channels
Each of the channels that I name have been personally helpful to me in my sourdough bread baking journey, and each channel offers multiple great tutorial-style videos to help you become a better sourdough bread baker.
Also, even though there are some great cooking-focused YouTube channels out there with solid sourdough tutorials, like Pro Home Cooks and Joshua Weissman, I’ve decided to keep this list focused on channels that spend the majority of their time teaching how to make sourdough and other types of bread. You won’t see general “cooking” channels on this list.
So, without further ado, here’s the list of the best sourdough YouTube channels in 2021.
#1: Bake with Jack
Why Bake With Jack is one of the best sourdough YouTube channels
Bake with Jack, run by Jack Sturgess out of the UK, is my all time favorite YouTube channel for learning the principles and skills that you need to make great bread. While the majority of Jack’s videos talk about yeasted bread, his sourdough tutorial video (shown below) is top-notch! His videos are a must-watch in my opinion.
BWJ’s most-watched video
Bake with Jack’s most-watched video is titled #101: Beginners Sourdough Loaf, Start to Finish. This is a great tutorial to follow if you’re a beginner to sourdough baking.
BWJ’s most helpful sourdough video
And a super interesting and helpful video from Jack is his 7 Sourdough Myths BUSTED! This video helps break down some of the myths that keep beginners from trying to make sourdough in the first place. It’s definitely worth a watch.
Click here to go to the Bake with Jack YouTube channel.
#2: Full Proof Baking
Full Proof Baking is a YouTube channel run by Kristen Dennis in Chicago. While Kristen, affectionately known as the “Queen of Sourdough,” has more of a cult following on Instagram than YouTube, her YouTube channel still has so much great information packed into the videos that she definitely deserves a spot on this list.
Why Full Proof Baking is one of the best sourdough YouTube channels
The videos on Full Proof Baking really get down to the nitty-gritty of sourdough baking. So, if you’re an intermediate to advanced home baker and your interested in getting an amazing open crumb structure in your bread, how to feed your starter to achieve its peak activity, or how to perform proper coil folds, then Full Proof Baking is the YouTube channel for you.
Full Proof Baking’s most-watched video
Kristen’s most-watched video on her channel is called How to Make a Basic Open Crumb Sourdough. This walks you through, step-by-step, how to achieve an open, airy crumb structure in your bread. Her method is definitely worth giving a try if you’re an intermediate or advanced sourdough baker. Here’s the video.
Full Proof Baking’s most helpful sourdough video
Another great video from Full Proof Baking is called How To Develop Dough Strength. If your dough has ever felt too loose, weak, or underdeveloped when it comes time to shape the dough, this video will help you solve that problem.
Click here to go to the Full Proof Baking YouTube channel.
#3: Foodgeek
Why Foodgeek is one of the best sourdough YouTube channels
Sune Trudslev runs the Foodgeek YouTube channel out of Denmark. Sune has made a name for himself on YouTube by being the sourdough-experiment-guy. He often runs experiments on his channel after saying his classic catch phrase (“Experiment time!”) where he tries out different sourdough hacks and techniques to see if they actually make a difference in the final loaf of sourdough bread.
My favorite Foodgeek experiement is when Sune put the “autolyze” technique to the test. He compared mixing dough straight, doing a true autolyze, doing an autolyze with salt, and doing an autolyze with the addition of starter. What he found in this video was awesome! Click here to go straight to that experiment video.
Here are a few of Foodgeek’s most popular videos on YouTube.
Foodgeek’s most-watched video
Sune’s most popular video on his channel is called “Sourdough Bread Scoring Techniques.” This video walks you through 12 different scoring patterns to try out when you’re scoring sourdough bread. I am particular to the single slash technique, but I also love the wheat-stalk pattern that Sune does a great job of explaining in this video.
Foodgeek’s most helpful sourdough video
All of the Foodgeek experiments seem to have influenced what Sune thinks is necessary in order to create a great loaf of sourdough bread. So, after running a bunch of experiments, he updated his master sourdough recipe in 2020 and released it in this video: The Foodgeek Master Recipe for Artisan Sourdough Bread. Here’s the video for you.
Click here to go to the Foodgeek YouTube channel.
#4: Bread by Joy Ride Coffee
Why Bread by Joy Ride Coffee is one of the best sourdough YouTube channels
Bread by Joy Ride Coffee is the best sourdough YouTube channel where you don’t actually hear the creator speak. That might sound strange, but the creator of Joy Ride Coffee’s videos, G. Serban, is usually off camera in the videos and never speaks.
By providing detailed written instructions for each recipe and offering clear video of each step of the process, Bread by Joy Ride Coffee has been putting out some GREAT sourdough tutorials. He also usually includes some B-roll of beautiful outdoor scenery while the dough is proofing, which I really appreciate!
Bread by Joy Ride Coffee’s most-watched video
The first video I ever saw from this YouTube channel was called Pan de Cristal – 106% hydration, sourdough bread. The idea of such a high hydration dough drew me in and I instantly clicked on the video. Apparently a lot of other people did too, because it’s the channel’s most popular video! Here it is below.
Bread by Joy Ride Coffee’s most helpful sourdough video
While I would mostly recommend the above “Pan de Cristal” video to advanced home sourdough bakers, the next video by Joy Ride Coffee can be helpful for any home baker at any skill level. Check out his video called No More Sticky Dough.
Click here to go to the Bread by Joy Ride Coffee YouTube channel.
#5: Grant Bakes
I (Grant) am a home baker in Chicago, Illinois who learned how to bake sourdough bread after discovering the lost art of making fermented foods. (You didn’t think I was going to leave my own YouTube channel off this list did you?)
In 2019, after successfully making a bottle of homemade sriracha, then trying my hand at homemade sauerkraut, I decided to dive into the world of sourdough bread baking.
Through frequent video tutorials on YouTube, I’ve loved sharing my tips and tricks with you for making great sourdough bread at home.
Why Grant Bakes is one of the best sourdough YouTube channels
The Grant Bakes YouTube channel has some extremely helpful video tutorials that cut through the nonsense and unnecessary steps that beginners don’t need to worry about when making sourdough bread. If you’re looking for straight-forward, no-nonsense tutorials for making better bread, sourdough, and pizza at home, definitely check out Grant Bakes.
Grant Bakes’ most-watched video
The most popular video to date on my YouTube channel is actually the first video I ever posted, titled “How to Get an EAR on Sourdough Bread.” I guess this struck a chord with folks like me who are always striving to get that beautiful “ear” on top of their sourdough batards. Here’s that video.
Grant Bakes’ most helpful sourdough video
In my opinion, the most helpful sourdough tutorial on my channel is the one called “Good Sourdough Bread.” It walks you through my basic sourdough bread recipe that I make once or twice a week at home. What makes this tutorial so special is that it cuts out all the nonsense and fluff that other videos will have you do. No autolyze, no refreshing your starter three times, no slap and folds – just simple, delicious, sourdough bread that you can make at home. Here’s that video.
Click here to go straight to the Grant Bakes channel on YouTube.
Conclusion
Thanks for checking out my list of the best sourdough YouTube channels of 2021! It’s certainly not an exhaustive list of all the great YouTubers out there, but if you’re getting into sourdough bread baking for the first time, these are some great sources to learn from.
Also, if you want to get started baking sourdough bread the same way I did, you should really create your own sourdough starter from scratch! The free guide that I made will walk you through, step-by-step, how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch with just two ingredients. Go ahead, check it out! Click here to read about my free sourdough starter guide.