I've been baking sourdough bread for over a year, but it has been a very hitty missy affair!.. However thanks to your wonderful site I have gained a lot of knowledge i.e. why we need to divide the starter, how rye flour will revive a starter that was decidely unwell and the photos are such a great help, as well. Now I have a question - is it possible to plait sourdough? I have tried previously, but I think "disaster" would be the word to describe my efforts. I think that what I want is a challah recipe with a sourdough riser. By the way, I don't use sugar in my recipe, I use agave syrup. Thanks again for a really wonderful site. To work with extra-sticky doughs, especially a sourdough-challah, I suggest checking out our no-knead challah recipe. https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2009/08/12/the-no-knead-beat-goes-on-easy-challah/ It shows how to braid the dough even with it being very sticky. You could use the no-knead recipe for challah and swap 2-3 cups of flour+1-1.5 cups water for 2 cups of sourdough starter (unfed starter would be best, I think, to keep the dough from rising too quickly initially). Keep the rest of the ingredients the same and be sure the dough texture is very sticky when mixed. Also, check the dough as it rises since the sourdough starter might give the dough some extra rising power! If you notice the dough rising too quickly, simply punch it down once or twice during the first rise to keep it under control. Please send any questions on if you still need some pointers! Kim@KAF

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