I’ve been making Tartine sourdough breads for 12 years, but it’s only in the last 9 months that the quality and consistency has been what I hoped to achieve. The main reason for this success is a guy named Charlie Anderson, whose web name is The Regular Chef.

It was his YouTube video that helped me identify and correct the defects in my bread-making process. This 15-minute gem has made a world of difference for me:

My most recent experience was less than a week ago. The two loaves came out great.

For the record, I made a couple of small adjustments to his recipe, as a matter of personal taste. He uses 900 grams of white bread flour and 100 grams of whole wheat flour. My tweak adds 50 grams of freshly-milled rye flour and reduces the bread flour to 850 grams.

Charlie also prefers making three smaller loaves. I did it that way several times. Though that approach has its benefits, I prefer making two larger loaves. It’s up to you.