You’re deep into bulk fermentation. The dough looks close… but you still don’t know if it’s time to stop.

Stop relying on the clock alone.

The Bulk Fermentation Decision Matrix gives home sourdough bakers a simple decision system for the most stressful part of the bake: knowing whether to PROCEED, WAIT, ADJUST, or RESCUE.

You enter 3 inputs:

→ kitchen temperature

→ starter %

→ time elapsed

Then you match your dough against a 5-signal checklist and follow the output path.

Inside:

→ Guided Notion workspace

→ Core bulk fermentation matrix

→ 5-signal dough-state checklist

→ Proceed / Wait / Adjust output layer

→ Rescue + edge-case triage

→ 8 worked bake scenarios

→ My Bake Log

→ printable PDF counter reference

This is for bakers who understand the sourdough process but still hesitate during bulk because overproofing and underproofing need opposite fixes.

Definition of done:

You know your bulk zone, confirm the dough signs, act on the correct output, and log the stop time for future bakes.

Not a sourdough course. Not a starter guide. Not a recipe.

One job only:

help you make the bulk fermentation stop/wait/adjust decision with more confidence.