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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?
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joelmoore6mo ago
That "sold out" feeling is the worst, I once had to do that with my jam when the pectin failed.
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shanescott6mo 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.
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the_sam6mo ago
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.
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alicecraig5mo 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.
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