Free crumb review
Twenty minutes on your starter, your kitchen and a photo of a recent loaf.
Online · Sourdough and yeasted bread
Read the dough,
Read the dough,
not the clock.
Recipes say four hours. Your kitchen is 64 degrees in February and 79 in July, and the dough does not care what the recipe said. Learning to read it is the whole skill.
- 4–12weeks per program
- 48 hfor a crumb review
- 10 maxin a live session
- $0crumb review
The programs
Four programs, all taught on your own bakes
Your flour, your kitchen temperature, your oven. Those three decide almost everything.
Starter & first loaf
Building a starter that rises predictably, and getting a first real loaf out of your own oven.
See the programCrumb & shaping
Fermentation judgment, gentle handling and shaping with tension — the three things behind a good crumb.
See the programSchedules that fit
Cold retards, overnight bulks and timing a bake so it doesn't require a day off.
See the programOven, crust & variations
Steam, heat and stones at home, plus enriched doughs, whole grains and focaccia once loaves are reliable.
See the program
How it works
Photograph the crumb
The inside of the loaf is a record of everything that happened to it. Most problems are diagnosable from one clean cut.
Bake weekly
One loaf a week beats three in a burst and none for a month.
Photograph crust and crumb
Whole loaf, then a clean cut through the middle.
Written feedback
Within 48 hours: what the crumb shows and the single change for next time.
Plans
Pick your level of support
Month to month, cancel anytime. The 20-minute crumb review is free.
Bake-along
A weekly session shaping and baking together, with members' loaves reviewed.
$25/ month
- One 75-minute live session each week
- Groups of 10 bakers maximum
- Members' crumb shots reviewed live
- Recipes and schedule templates
- Replays for 30 days
Coaching essentials
A coach on your starter, your schedule and every bake.
$69/ month
- Personal 4 to 12 week program
- Crumb reviewed within 48 hours
- One 30-min session every two weeks
- Schedules built around your week
- Access to all bake-alongs
One-on-one
For high hydration, whole grain work, or a loaf that keeps failing.
$139/ month
- One 45-min session each week
- Replies within 24 hours
- Live shaping over video
- Recipes adapted to your flour and oven
- Access to all bake-alongs
Prices in USD. Cancel anytime, no contract.
How we work
No flour to sell, no health claims
Olivaraa sells nothing: no starters, no bannetons, no flour, no affiliate links. What you own is almost certainly enough, and a Dutch oven is the only purchase we ever push.
We also make no health claims. Sourdough is bread, not medicine, and it is not safe for anyone with celiac disease — long fermentation does not remove gluten. If you want to sell what you bake, cottage food rules vary by state and that is a conversation for your local health department.
Frequently asked
The questions we get most
My starter is dead.
Almost certainly not. Cold kitchens and irregular feeding explain nearly every 'dead' starter, and two days of consistent feeding usually settles it.
Do I need a stand mixer?
No. Hand mixing is fine and arguably better for learning what the dough should feel like. We sell nothing and recommend very little.
Is sourdough gluten-free or healthier?
No, and we don't make health claims. It is not safe for celiac disease. Enjoy it as bread.
Why is my loaf gummy inside?
Usually underfermented, sometimes cut too warm. A photo of the crumb will tell us which within a day.
Can I sell my bread?
Possibly, under your state's cottage food laws — but that's a question for your local health department, not for us. We coach baking, not food business compliance.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. No contract, no minimum term. Access stays open until the end of the month you already paid for.
Want to know what your crumb is telling you?
Twenty minutes, free, on one photo of your loaf and what to change.