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?

4 comments

4 Comments

joelmoore26d ago

That "sold out" feeling is the worst, I once had to do that with my jam when the pectin failed.

shanescott26d ago

Ever wonder if the pectin brands are different now? I mean, @the_sam's syrup sounds good but it's not the same as jam. Maybe the fruit sugar levels mess with it more than we know.

the_sam26d agoTop Commenter

Oh man, pectin is the worst for that. I had a whole batch of strawberry jam just never set. Ended up with fancy strawberry syrup, which was fine on pancakes but a total letdown. You wait all year for good berries and then the thickener just gives up. Makes you want to just buy the stuff at the store.

alicecraig3d ago

Yeah that "wait all year for good berries" part hits hard. I started doing the plate test every time now, spoon a little on a cold plate and stick it in the freezer for a minute. If it wrinkles when you push it, you're good. If not, you can sometimes cook it a bit longer or add a tiny bit more pectin before it's totally done. Saved my last batch of peach jam.