Pinch and Seal
EasyFirmly seal the seam.
- Turn dough seam-side up
- Pinch seam together firmly along entire length
- Roll gently to smooth
- Place seam-side up in banneton
Loose Seam
ShapingA loose seam can open during proofing or baking, causing irregular shape or blowouts. Proper sealing technique ensures the seam stays closed.
Loose Seam in sourdough most often traces back to Loose seams result from insufficient tension during shaping or not sealing the bottom properly, a shape-stage problem you can usually correct mid-bake. This page lists 3 immediate interventions to try on the current batch plus 4 adjustments to stop it recurring. Fixes assume a 68-72°F kitchen and an active, ripe starter.
How do I fix loose seam right now?
Work through these reversible steps on the batch in front of you, in order. Each one targets a different failure mode, so the first match is usually the fix — stop as soon as the dough responds and resume your normal process from there.
- 1Pinch the seam firmly to seal
- 2Place seam-side up in banneton so weight seals it
- 3Reshape if seam is too loose to seal
What are the detailed fixes for loose seam?
If the quick steps above did not resolve things, these deeper adjustments rework the mix, fermentation, or handling stage where loose seam usually originates. Each card explains what to change, the reason it works, and the baking stage it belongs to.
Reshape
ModerateStart over with better technique.
- If seam is too loose, flatten dough gently
- Reshape with proper tension
- Focus on pulling dough toward you to seal
- Pinch seam well before placing in banneton
What causes loose seam in sourdough?
Loose seams result from insufficient tension during shaping or not sealing the bottom properly. Contributing factors include: Not enough tension during final shaping, Seam not pinched closed, Over-fermented slack dough, Too much flour preventing seam from sealing, Rushing the shaping process.
How do I prevent loose seam next time?
Prevention is easier than a mid-bake rescue. The tips below target the variables — starter timing, hydration, temperature, and handling — that most often set up loose seam, so you build the fix into your process instead of reacting to a dough that has already drifted.
- Create tension by pulling dough toward you during shaping
- Pinch seam firmly after shaping
- Place seam-side up in banneton so gravity helps seal
- Use minimal flour on bench to allow dough to grip
What issues relate to loose seam?
Having other problems? Check out these related troubleshooting guides.