c/bakers

The great sourdough starter disaster of 2021

Three years ago, I was keeping my starter, 'Bubbles', on the windowsill in my kitchen. I went away for a weekend in July and came back to find the jar had basically exploded from the heat. My wife walked in and just said, 'It smells like a brewery died in here.' I lost years of that culture and had to start all over from scratch with a new one. Has anyone else had a starter just give up the ghost like that?

Pro tip: I was overmixing my pie dough for a decade until a customer pointed it out

I run a small pie shop in Asheville, and for years my crusts were just a bit tough. Last week, a regular told me, 'I love your fillings, but the crust is always so sturdy.' It hit me that I was mixing the butter in until it was almost fully combined, which develops too much gluten. I started stopping when the dough still had visible pea-sized butter bits, and the difference is night and day. Has anyone else had a simple comment completely change a basic technique for them?

My aunt told me to use cold butter for pie crust and I'm glad I listened

She said it was the only way to get those flaky layers. I tried it last month with my apple pie. I cut the butter straight from the fridge into the flour. The dough came together so much better. My crust baked up light and crisp, not greasy at all. Has anyone else found a big difference with butter temperature?

I just baked my 200th loaf of sourdough and the number hit me

I kept a little tally on my fridge and seeing that '200' made me realize I'm not just messing around in my kitchen anymore, this is a real craft. Has anyone else had a moment like that with a specific count?

My wedding cake order for Saturday just got canceled this morning

Had a big wedding cake order for a party in Portland. Spent all of yesterday baking the layers and making the buttercream. Got a text from the bride at 7 AM today saying the wedding was off. Now I'm stuck with a huge three-tier vanilla cake and about $200 worth of ingredients I can't get back. The worst part is I turned down two smaller birthday cake jobs to fit this one in my schedule. I guess I'll try to sell the layers as sheet cakes or something. Has anyone else had a big last-minute cancelation like this? What did you do with the product?

Tried using a local honey in my sourdough starter and it basically went to sleep for 3 days

My sourdough starter used to be a total diva until I changed one thing

For the longest time, I kept my starter in a cool, dark pantry and fed it once a day with filtered water and fancy bread flour. It was okay, but it was slow and sometimes just wouldn't rise right before a bake. Then, about three months ago, I moved it to the top of my fridge where it's a bit warmer, maybe 75 degrees. I also switched to feeding it with plain tap water and cheap all-purpose flour from the store. The change was wild. It's way more active now, doubles in size in about four hours, and my loaves have a better, more open crumb. I guess I was making it too hard, you know? Has anyone else found that a simpler routine actually works better for their starter?

I finally figured out why my sourdough crusts were always too thick

I was baking a loaf last Thursday and my friend, who runs a cafe, stopped by. He watched me slash the dough and just said, 'You're not spraying the top before it goes in, are you?' I never did, because my old recipe from a class in Denver didn't mention it. I tried a light mist of water on the next loaf and the crust was perfectly crisp, not tough and chewy. Anyone have other simple tricks for better oven spring?

The time a wedding cake almost took flight in my kitchen

I was finishing a three tier cake for a wedding in my home bakery in Sacramento, and the top layer just... slid. It was a hot day, the buttercream was soft, and the whole thing tilted like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I had to hold it up with one hand while frantically trying to find dowels with the other. My partner walked in and just said, "Is it supposed to do that?" Has anyone else had a cake almost escape on them right before a delivery?

I used to bake my rye bread at 425F for 45 minutes. Now I start at 500F for 15, then drop to 350 for 30. The crust is way better. Anyone else mess with their oven temps like this?

I used to think sourdough needed a super long, cold proof to be good. Now I skip it.

For years, I followed the rule that my sourdough had to have a 12 to 14 hour cold proof in the fridge. I thought that was the only way to get a complex flavor and a good open crumb. Then, about six months ago, I was in a rush and baked a loaf after just a 4 hour room temperature proof. The result was a lighter, brighter sourdough that my family actually preferred. It still had a nice tang, but it wasn't as heavy. I realized that long cold ferments can sometimes mute the wheat's natural sweetness and make the bread taste a bit one-note. Now my standard is a 5 hour bulk ferment and a 3 hour final proof at about 72 degrees. It's just more reliable for my schedule and taste. Has anyone else moved away from the super long cold proof method?

A chat with my neighbor made me see my sourdough starter differently

I was walking my dog last Tuesday and ran into my neighbor, Mrs. Ellis, who's in her 80s. She saw my flour-dusted apron and asked if I was still 'messing with that sourdough.' I told her I was fighting a sluggish starter that wouldn't rise right. She just laughed and said, 'Honey, you're feeding it like a prize pet. It's just flour and water. It doesn't need a schedule, it needs you to pay attention to it.' That simple line hit me hard because I realized I'd been blindly following a rigid feeding chart I found online for months, stressing over exact grams and hours. I went home, tossed the chart, and just looked at the starter. It was bubbly but thin, so I used a bit less water that next feed. Two days later, it was the most active it's been since I began. I was so focused on the rules I forgot to just watch and react. Has anyone else had a moment where they stopped following a recipe so strictly and just listened to the dough?

I was sure my oven thermometer was broken, but it was my oven all along

My sourdough loaves kept burning on the bottom, and I blamed my new $12 thermometer for being wrong. Turns out, my oven runs a solid 25 degrees hotter than the set temp, which explains everything. Anyone else have to constantly adjust for a wonky oven?

My cousin swore by using room temperature eggs for my buttercream, and I finally caved after a grainy batch last Tuesday.

That week my sourdough starter turned into a monster

I keep my starter, 'Frank', in the pantry, but last week it got so active it pushed the lid off a 2-quart jar and dripped down the shelf. I had to feed it twice a day just to keep up. Has anyone else had a starter go wild like that in warmer weather?

Serious warning about the new flour at the big box store on 5th

Honestly, I grabbed a bag of their store-brand all-purpose for a big wedding cake order last month and the protein content was way off. The crumb structure was so weak the tiers almost collapsed during transport. Has anyone else tested this batch or found a reliable bulk alternative?

Bought a $40 dough scraper and it changed my whole bench work

I always just used a knife to move dough around, but my friend told me to get a proper bench scraper. I got a simple metal one from a kitchen store for about forty bucks. It's crazy how much cleaner my work surface stays now, and I can portion things way faster. Anyone have a favorite brand for these, or is one pretty much the same as another?

Pro tip: a customer's blunt note made me rethink my sourdough scoring

A regular at my pop-up in Portland left a comment card saying my loaves looked 'messy' and the cuts were too shallow. I realized I was rushing the final step. Now I use a fresh, sharp lame and make sure each score is at least a quarter inch deep. Has anyone else gotten a piece of feedback that totally changed a small part of your process?

My $60 digital scale from the kitchen supply store was a game changer for my bread.

I used to measure flour by volume with cups, and my loaf results were all over the place. Last month I got a precise scale and started weighing everything in grams. The first batch of sandwich loaves I made after that came out perfectly even and soft. Has anyone else switched to weighing and noticed a big difference in consistency?

I used to bake my sourdough at 450 for an hour, now I start at 500 for 20 minutes.

Changed my whole game. For years, I followed the standard advice. Hot oven, long bake. My loaves were good, but the crust was never quite right. A bit tough, not that perfect crackle. Then I watched a baker in Portland do a demo. She cranked her home oven to its max, 500 degrees, with the Dutch oven inside for a full hour to preheat. She only baked the actual loaf at that temp for the first 20 minutes, then dropped it to 450. The oven spring was insane. I tried it. The initial blast gives a way better rise and sets the crust faster. The lower finish lets the inside cook without burning the outside. My crumb opened up like never before. Who else has messed with their temp schedule like this?

A customer at my Saturday market stall in Boise told me her grandma swore by a teaspoon of vinegar in pie crust

A regular at my old shop in Madison taught me the real trick with pie crust

This older lady named Evelyn would come in every Saturday for a slice of cherry pie. One day, she saw me struggling with a tough crust and just said, 'Your butter's too warm, honey. It needs to be colder than you think, straight from the icebox for at least an hour.' I started freezing my butter for 45 minutes before cutting it in, and it made all the difference. How do you all keep your fats cold enough in a warm kitchen?

I bought a $90 'professional' dough scraper that bent on the first batch of stiff rye.

Has anyone found a brand that actually holds up to heavy use?

Had to choose between a sourdough starter or instant yeast for a big order

A local cafe in Boise wanted 50 loaves of sourdough for a weekend event. I had to decide between using my 5-year-old starter, which is slower, or adding a bit of instant yeast to speed up the bulk ferment. I went with the starter, trusting the flavor, but it meant pulling an all-nighter to manage the timeline. The bread turned out great, but I'm wiped out. Has anyone else faced a tight deadline and stuck with a traditional method over a faster one?

Appreciation post: I found out most home bakers overproof their dough

I was reading a book from the library called 'Bread Science' last week and it mentioned that a huge amount of home bakers let their dough rise for too long. The author said it's the number one reason for flat, dense loaves. I always thought more time meant more flavor, but I tried a shorter bulk ferment yesterday and my sourdough had way better oven spring. Has anyone else adjusted their proofing times after learning something similar?