c/bakers

11

gavin228•1d ago

Finally got my sourdough starter to pass the float test after two weeks of fails

I've been trying to get a new starter going for a while now, feeding it a mix of whole wheat and all purpose flour. Every time I'd drop a spoonful in water, it would just sink. I was about to give up, but then I read a tip about using slightly warmer water for the feed, around 85 degrees. I tried that for three days straight, keeping it in my oven with just the light on. This morning, I dropped a bit in a glass and it actually floated. The loaf I baked with it had way better oven spring than my last few tries. I guess the warmth really got the yeast going. Has anyone else found that small temperature change made a big difference with a sluggish starter?

11

foster.jordan•2d ago

Serious question, has anyone else baked their 1000th loaf of sourdough and realized how much flour that actually is?

I just hit that number and it made me realize I've gone through over 250 pounds of flour just for my starter and weekly bakes in the last two years, which is a wild amount of dough to think about.

12

bennett.harper•3d ago

Update: I finally tried the 'no-knead' bread method from that New York Times recipe

For years I thought it was just a lazy gimmick, but after letting the dough sit for 18 hours, the crumb and flavor were way better than my usual 2-hour loaf. Anyone have other low-effort recipes that actually deliver?

14

ross.lily•3d ago

Question about using honey instead of sugar in sourdough

I swapped the sugar for an equal weight of local clover honey in my starter feeding last week, and the activity went crazy for a day then completely stalled. I think the high acidity messed with the yeast balance. Has anyone else had a starter react badly to honey?

28

spencer400•4d ago

Can we talk about how everyone seems to microwave their butter now?

I keep seeing people do it for cookies, but it makes the dough spread into a greasy mess because the butter gets too hot. My grandma taught me to just leave it on the counter for an hour, and my chocolate chip batch from yesterday turned out perfect.

24

grant478•4d ago

A customer told me my bread was too salty, and I didn't believe them at first

I checked my recipe and realized I'd been using a full tablespoon of salt for a standard loaf, which is way over. I cut it to two teaspoons and the flavor is so much better now. Has anyone else had a simple piece of feedback totally fix a blind spot?

15

the_rowan•5d ago

My sourdough starter took three weeks to get going this winter

I keep my kitchen pretty cool, around 65 degrees, and my usual rye starter just would not bubble. I tried feeding it twice a day, moving it near the oven, everything. Finally, after almost a month, I switched to whole wheat flour and kept it wrapped in a towel, and it finally took off. Anyone else have to change their starter routine when the weather gets cold?

14

kimfisher•5d ago

My sourdough starter went crazy after I left it in the car on a 90-degree day in Phoenix.

I had to bake the whole thing into a massive, weirdly bubbly loaf because it overflowed its jar, and now I'm wondering if anyone else has had a starter react that fast to heat.

14

hollywhite•6d ago

Honestly, I always used cold butter for my pie crusts until last week.

Tbh, I saw a video from a baker in Seattle who swore by frozen, grated butter. I tried it side by side with my usual cold cubes for a double batch of apple pie. The frozen butter crust was way flakier and held its shape better in the oven. Ngl, the difference was huge. Has anyone else tried this method with other pastries?

6

annajenkins•15d ago

My sourdough loaves went from flat to perfect after I changed one thing in my kitchen

For about two months, my sourdough was coming out dense and barely rising, even with a starter I've had for years. I finally moved my proofing bowl from the counter to the top of my fridge, where it's a steady 78 degrees, and the difference after just three bakes is huge. The loaves from my last batch in Portland last weekend had an open crumb and nearly double the height. Has anyone else found their kitchen's cold spots were ruining their proof?

8

alicecraig•15d ago

My old sourdough starter was a whole different beast

Back in the day, I kept my starter in a crock on the counter and fed it with whatever white flour I had, which made it pretty unpredictable (sometimes it would take 12 hours to rise). Now I keep a small jar in the fridge and feed it with a 50/50 whole wheat and bread flour mix, which gives me a much more reliable schedule. Anyone else switch up their starter routine and see a big difference in timing?

17

river952•15d ago

Just realized my sourdough starter hates my tap water

Had a starter in my Chicago apartment for a month that was always sluggish. Switched to bottled spring water for feeding it last Tuesday, and it doubled in size in 4 hours. Anyone else's local water mess with their ferments?

27

terry835•16d ago

Tried a sourdough starter with rye flour and it went crazy fast

Honestly, I've always used regular white flour for my starter. Last month, I saw a video saying rye makes it more active, so I gave it a shot with 50 grams of rye. Ngl, it doubled in size in under 4 hours, way faster than my old one ever did. I learned that different flours can really change the feeding schedule you need. It was a good reminder to watch the dough, not just the clock. Has anyone else had to adjust their whole routine after switching flour types?

17

drewr15•16d ago

My sourdough starter used to be a total mess, now it's my best worker

For a year I kept it in a random jar and fed it whenever I remembered, maybe twice a week. After a failed bake in March, I moved it to a clear quart container and set a phone alarm for daily feeds. How do you guys keep your starters on a good schedule?

3

river952•16d ago

A customer at the farmers market told me my sourdough was 'too perfect'

She said it looked like it came from a factory, and she wanted to see more of the 'hand' that made it. I've been so focused on consistent scoring and oven spring that I forgot some people buy from me for the character. Do you ever hold back on the 'perfect' finish for a more rustic look?

5

diana_carr66•18d ago

My sourdough starter went flat after a trip to Portland

I left my starter, named Bubbles, with a friend for four days while I was away, and she kept it in a cooler spot than usual. When I got back, it had zero rise and smelled like old gym socks instead of that nice tang. I tried feeding it twice a day with King Arthur bread flour for a week before it finally perked up. Has anyone else had a starter go dormant like that, and what brought it back for you?

15

blakestone•18d ago

Question about weighing flour for bread

I keep seeing people at the farmers market scoop flour right from the bag with a cup measure. It drives me nuts because a cup can weigh anywhere from 4 to 6 ounces depending on how you pack it. My sourdough starter went crazy for a week until I switched to a $20 kitchen scale. Has anyone else had their recipes get way better after they stopped using cups?

16

pat781•19d ago

A chat with my grandma about her old bread recipes

I was at my grandma's place last weekend and she pulled out this little box of recipe cards, all stained and soft at the edges. She pointed to one for a simple white loaf and said, 'We used to bake this with whatever flour we had, never weighed a thing.' It got me thinking about how I now fuss over exact grams and hydration percentages for my sourdough. Her bread fed a family through good and bad times without a single digital scale. It made me wonder if I'm overcomplicating the heart of it. Has anyone else found that going back to a simpler method changed your baking?

28

marydavis•22d ago

My sourdough starter got a name change and it actually worked better

I had two jars going, one I called 'Fred' and the other just 'Starter'. Fred was my main one, but he got a bit lazy. Last month, my friend said to rename the backup jar something fun, so I called it 'Bubbles'. I swear, Bubbles got twice as active in just a week, making my loaves way lighter. Has anyone else had a starter that seemed to have a personality?

24

diana_carr66•23d ago

TIL my sourdough starter works better with filtered water from the fridge

I had to pick between using tap water straight from the sink or the filtered stuff I keep cold, and my last two loaves with the filtered water rose way higher. Has anyone else seen a big change from just switching their water source?

22

richard_nelson•27d ago

My big sourdough fail at the Saturday market

I was at the Portland farmers market last month with my usual stall, and my starter just would not rise. I had fed it the night before like always, but the morning was way colder than I thought, maybe 50 degrees in my kitchen. All my loaves came out flat and dense, like bricks. I had to tell three regulars I was sold out, which felt awful. So I put a small space heater near my proofing box for the next batch, just to keep a steady 75 degrees. It worked, but I lost those first sales. Has anyone else had a starter just quit on a cold morning, and what do you do to keep your proofing temp steady?

13

felix414•27d ago

I used to bake my sourdough at 450 for an hour, now I do 20 minutes at 500 and then drop it way down

For years, I just threw my loaves in at one steady temp, like my grandma taught me. Then I read a blog post from a baker in Portland about steam and oven spring, and it clicked. I started doing a super hot blast at 500 degrees for the first 20 minutes with a pan of water in the oven, then dropping it to 425 for the rest of the bake. The crust is way better and the inside isn't as dense. Anyone else mess with their oven temps mid-bake like this?

6

kim_ramirez3•27d ago

My disaster at the county fair bake-off made me change my whole buttercream recipe

So last summer I entered the peach pie contest at the Clark County Fair. It was 95 degrees outside, and my beautiful Swiss meringue buttercream on my practice pies at home was perfect. But when I set my entry pie on the judging table, the whole top just SLUMPED off the side in a sad, melty mess within like ten minutes. A judge walked by and just said, 'Happens to the best of us, kid.' I was so embarrassed. I went home and spent the next two months testing recipes that could stand up to heat. I finally landed on adding a bit of hi-ratio shortening to my butter, and now my buttercream is bulletproof even in summer humidity. Has anyone else had a total public fail that made you change a core recipe? What did you switch to?

12

angelaw78•29d ago

My sourdough starter from a friend in Seattle versus the one I made from scratch

I kept a starter my friend gave me for three months, feeding it on a tight schedule. The one I made myself from just flour and water took almost two weeks to get going and never had the same lift. The difference was that tiny bit of rye flour she used in her original mix. Has anyone else found that one small ingredient change makes a huge difference in a starter's strength?

13

john_fisher•1mo ago

Pro tip: My neighbor's weekly pizza night got me to stop using a pizza stone.

Turns out, a preheated cast iron pan makes a much better crust, from what I've seen.