Is your sourdough starter acting weird? Smelling strange, not rising, or has that mysterious dark liquid on top? Before you spiral down a Google rabbit hole at 10pm — read this first. It's probably a lot simpler than you think, and I'm going to show you exactly how to fix it.

If your sourdough turned out flat, dense, gummy, or just plain disappointing, you are not alone. This beginner-friendly sourdough troubleshooting post explains the most common reasons sourdough fails and how to move forward with more confidence.