Simple Sourdough

Autolyse
A bit like 'artisan', this word is thrown around with wild abandon but if you ask someone to explain what it actually is, they'll either falter or confidently give you a completely different definition to the next person.
Basically, when you're making bread, it's when you add your water to your flour and leave it to soak (for hours!), before you add anything else. The idea is that it improves texture and makes it more sourdoughy.
Some say it's not sourdough if you haven't done it, and others say that's nonsense. Truth is, it depends on what type of bread you're going for (crusty teeth-breaker loaf, or soft sandwich bread), and what kind of flour you're using.
My no-bs breadmaker recipe disregards this word - but there is no reason you couldn't add it, if you have the time.

Baker’s Percentage or Baker's Math
Tempting as it is to skewer this annoying term, I've kind of used this in my Starter instructions.
Remember our 1:1:1 flour:water:starter ratio? Well it's that, but using percentages for a whole recipe.
For example, 100% flour, to 70% water, 2% salt, etc. It's a rule of thumb, you don't need to worry about it unless it makes your life easier.

Banneton
A wooden basket for shaping your dough into a loaf - basically the bit in my no-bs breadmaker recipe that we do in a greased bowl under a towel. You'll use a Banneton if you delve deeper into the world of baking different types of sourdough.

Bench Rest
Literally just leaving your dough slopped on the counter, to rest. The idea is that afterwards you can shape it better, but then it gets complicated depending on whether you're going to do a cold proof or not. It's in the realm of BS so it has no place here.

Bread Lame
A fancy stick for holding a razorblade, which is used to make a cut (or 'score') across the top of the dough, to give it that classic sourdough 'split open' looking crust. You can use a sharp knife but it's got to be REALLY sharp.
We don't do this in my no-bs breadmaker recipe, because the dough is too gooey, there isn't really room in the bucket to get a knife in, and the heating in a breadmaker works differently to an oven anyway.

Bulk Fermentation
The bit in the bowl when we do a few stretch-&-folds. You know - before it rises.
The whole lot of it is fermenting - in bulk - hence: 'bulk fermentation'.

Cold Retard
Not an insult, this is simply putting the dough in the fridge to ferment or prove... or to 'rise', in non-BS terms. The cold slows it down (retards its speed), which is good for adding sourdough flavour, or simply scheduling your bake around your life.

Crumb
You know how the inside of the bread looks when you slice into it? The holes? Well, that's the crumb.
Fun fact that I wish I didn't know: photos of this are popular on social media, where sourdough enthusiasts like to comment on each other's crumb-shots.

Degassing
Squishing the dough a bit to force out some air, before shaping. It's just to get rid of massive bubbles, because if they're on the outer edge, they'll burst (a bit like the loaf in my home page banner), or burn.

Dutch Oven
A heavy pot like an upside-down casserole dish that is designed to trap steam inside. It's the way to a good, crusty crust.

Ear
The lifted flap of crust created by a good score. The BS merchants like to brag about this sort of thing. It has no place here.

Feed (Starter)
Your starter is basically your pet bacteria in a jar - feeding it is literally that; mixing in fresh flour and water so that it gets all excited and rises.

Fermentation
Bacteria farting carbon dioxide into dough, to make it rise.

Gluten Development
No, not a workout for your butt, those are glutes. This is basically what stretch-&-fold causes. The goal is making your sloppy dough less sloppy, so that it traps air bubbles which will become holes in the crumb when it bakes.

Hydration
The wetness of the dough. High hydration = wet dough. You'll want to get really picky about this for pizza dough. (tip: go for 63%)

Lactic / Acetic Acid
Acids that put sour flavours in your dough, making it sourdough.
This is the realm of BS, leave it unless you want to get nerdy about it.

Levain
I don't know why I have such an irrational, visceral hatred for this word, but I do. It is literally just the bit of starter you use in your baking. Specifically, a description of the bit of your starter used to make your dough rise.

Open Crumb
Large holes visible in the crumb, where bubbles formed in the dough. If you post crumb-shots on Instagram, an open crumb is a must.

Oven Spring
The way your dough rises when it gets hot, in the first minutes of baking. Quick, dramatic spring = good dough.

Proof / Proofing
The final rise after shaping. Underproof = dense. Overproof = floppy.
In my no-BS breadmaker recipe, this is the bit in the bowl after the stretch-&-folds.
It's not particularly scientific, getting this right is a bit 'suck it and see'. Go by feel, not the clock.

Preshape / Shape
Borderline BS. In the no-BS breadmaker recipe we do this on transfer to the breadmaker bucket, and because of the way the bucket is shaped, it kind of forces the shape of the loaf anyway. When you start to get more adventurous and try different techniques, you'll need to add these steps.

Scoring
Slashing the dough with your Bread Lame before baking so that it expands where you want it to.
Not required in the no-BS breadmaker recipe. Cutting patterns into the loaf to make it pretty falls firmly into the realm of BS, but by all means let your creativity flow.

Slap-and-Fold
This is just a stretch-&-fold for really wet dough - you slap it down on the counter, then fold it by grabbing and bending it over.

Sourdough Starter
Your pet bacteria in a jar. Flour, water, patience, and discipline, which bubbles up to become your yeast/rising agent.

Starter Discard
The bit of Starter you take out of the jar to make room when you feed it.
The difference between Discard and the starter you use for baking is that you bake with peak-bubbly and active starter, and top up what's left with a feed.
However, if you're doing a feed to make it bubbly and usable because it's old and flat, then the Discard is the bit you take out. You're only taking it out to make space for more, you don't have to - but if you don't, you'll end up with tons of the stuff.
Some swear by discard recipes, but you need to use it right away or it'll taste lousy.

Stretch-and-Fold
No, not a Pilates or yoga session. This is the bit of my no-BS breadmaker recipe that we do in the bowl, where instead of vigorous kneading we grab the edge of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over. It 'strengthens the gluten', which basically means it gets smoother, less sticky, and holds its shape better.

Tension
The tightness of the dough, specifically, its surface tension. Not such an important factor in a breadmaker bucket but if you start using Bannetons, it'll matter because you want it to rise upwards, not outwards to just spill everywhere.

Wild Yeast
Yeast living in flour and in the air. The same stuff is used to brew beer, which is why we call it liquid bread. Yum.