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Why does nobody talk about how much a starter's hydration actually changes in summer
I read in a King Arthur Flour blog post that a dough can soak up an extra 2 to 4 percent water when the humidity is high, which explains why my loaves went flat all through July here in Nashville. I started cutting back by 20 grams and the crumb finally opened up. Has anyone else had to adjust their go-to recipe just for the season?
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susanl511mo ago
I live in Phoenix so my "summer adjustment" is basically adding water back because the air here sucks every drop out of the dough. My starter went from happy to looking like dried glue on the jar in about two days back in June. At least your problem comes with a fix that makes the bread taste better, mine just makes me feel like I'm fighting the desert.
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west.casey1mo ago
Man, I gotta disagree on the desert thing. Dry air is way easier to deal with than what I get here in July, where it's 90% humidity and my dough turns into a sticky soup the second I take the lid off. You can always add water to a dry starter, but you can't un-wet a wet one without dumping in flour forever and messing up your ratios. Honestly your problem is the better problem to have, even if it doesn't come with a flavor bonus. Phoenix may be brutal but at least your starter isn't sweating through its jar like mine is.
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