Sourdough is the official pandemic passion project, and while it's not hard there are newbie mistakes to avoid.Here are some of the most common mistakes that can ruin your sourdough efforts:.Starter takes at least a few days to get ready. Don't try to use your starter too soon.Don't use tap water. It's full of chlorine and other things to make it potable, but that can kill your yeast.Room temperature is the perfect water temperature for breadmaking. Water that's too cold will shock the yeast.A piece of dough should be able to stretch between your fingers and allow you can see light through.If you keep ending up with flat pancakes instead of loaves, you have not formed your loaf properly.If you don't score deeply enough, your bread could burst, making your finished loaf misshapen.Underbaked bread is doughy and damp. Bread with an internal temperature of 200°F is ready