Been baking sourdough for about 8 months now and kept getting crusts that were like biting into a shoe. Tried different flours, longer proofs, shorter bakes. Nothing worked. Then last week I swapped out my Dutch oven for a cast iron skillet with a steel mixing bowl on top and suddenly the crust turned out perfect. Guess the steam was escaping through my cheap Dutch oven lid. You guys ever have a simple equipment swap fix a problem you'd been fighting forever?
Left the dough to rest overnight in the fridge and the crust came out way crispier than my usual room temp method, has anyone else messed around with fermentation temps for better oven spring?
I found out from a random YouTube comment that most home ovens are off by at least 15 degrees, so I finally bought an oven thermometer for $8 and now I adjust all my temps down by 25, anyone else ever bake for years without checking their actual oven temp?
I always proofed my sourdough in the fridge for just a few hours thinking it didn't matter. But after reading about a 24 hour cold ferment from a bakery in Portland, I gave it a shot. The difference in flavor and crumb structure was like night and day. Has anyone else had that experience switching to a longer cold proof?
So I went to this tiny spot called Maison du Pain in Williamsburg on Saturday. The baker let me peek in the back and showed me how they laminate their dough. Turns out I've been using way too much butter in my layers and not letting the dough rest enough between folds. He said they use just enough butter to coat each layer thin, not glob it on like I do lol. He also said they rest the dough in the fridge for a full 45 minutes between each turn. I usually rush it in 20 minutes and wonder why my layers smear together. Has anyone else tried a longer rest time and seen better results?
I spent $12 on a set of silicone baking mats from a discount store last month and they warped in the oven at 375°F on my first try. Now I've got melted silicone residue stuck to my baking sheets and had to toss both the mats and the pans. Has anyone else had this happen with budget mats or did I just get a really bad batch?
Bought that wire-handled lame from a bakery supply shop in Portland. Looked slick. But the blade angle was totally off for my grip. Kept tearing my dough instead of clean cuts. Anyone else ditch a tool that was supposed to be "professional" and go back to a basic razor blade?
She grabbed a loaf of my jalapeno cheddar too and said it looked dry. I proof it at 80% hydration, not dry at all. How do you handle customers who don't get what rustic bread is supposed to be?
I swear the bags I buy now feel lighter and the dough behaves way different than when I started baking out of my grandma's kitchen in like 1998. Anyone else notice their loaves coming out softer or is it just my technique slipping?
I tracked every single one since January and hit exactly 100 last Sunday. Thought I'd be proud but honestly I'm just surprised at how many failed, like 12 total duds that went straight to the compost. Has anyone else kept count of their bake failures?
I was wondering why my sourdough kept coming out gummy even though I followed the recipe exactly. So last week I tested my probe thermometer against boiling water (212 degrees) and it read 172. That thing was off by 40 entire degrees. I bought it off Amazon for like 12 bucks two years ago and never once checked it. Has anyone else had a thermometer drift like that and ruin a bunch of bakes before you caught it?
I was at my kitchen counter in Portland last Thursday, setting a timer for 45 minutes while my loaf was baking, and got distracted by a phone call that ran long. When I pulled it out, the bottom was completely charred and the inside was still gummy - totally ruined $8 worth of flour and starter. Has anyone else had better luck using visual cues over timers for their sourdough?
I kept getting soggy bottoms on my apple pies no matter what. Turns out I was adding too much ice water, about 2 tablespoons too much each time. Anyone else deal with dough that just won't cooperate?
I was baking at home in Portland last week and kept getting dark bottoms on my croissants even though the tops looked fine. Turns out my oven runs hot by about 25 degrees, so I dropped the temp to 375 and put a sheet pan on the rack below. Now they come out golden all over. Anyone else have a hot oven issue like that?
I was over at a friend's place last month and overheard this bakery owner talking about how they keep their starter at 78 degrees exactly, not just on the counter. I always just left mine on the kitchen shelf and wondered why my loaves were flat and dense. Turns out temperature was my whole problem... after 3 tries with a warm spot near my water heater, I got the best rise I've ever had. The crumb was finally open and airy like I see in all those Instagram posts. Has anyone else noticed a big difference from controlling the temp more carefully?
I was chatting with a patient who bakes cakes on the side and she said she puts her mixing bowl and paddle in the freezer for 15 minutes before making American buttercream. Tried it on a batch last Sunday and the frosting stayed way more stable, didn't get grainy at all. Has anyone else tried chilling their equipment like that?
Finally tried a $15 kitchen scale after 5 years of scooping and leveled cups, and my sourdough crumb came out way more even than before - anyone else fight the switch to grams this long?
I've been baking sourdough since last August and my loaves always came out flat with a pale, soft crust. Yesterday I tried spritzing the inside of my Dutch oven with water right before putting the dough in at 475°F. The crust came out deep brown and crackly for the first time ever. Anyone else have a weird trick that finally clicked for them?
I went to a baking supply show in Brooklyn last fall and watched a guy crank out 60 bagels in 15 minutes using a deck oven. My old convection setup takes twice as long and the crust never gets that chewy snap. Some bakers say deck ovens are too expensive and take up too much space, but others swear the steam control is worth every penny. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a real difference in their final product?
Took me way too long to realize I was steaming my oven wrong. I kept using a spray bottle and it just wasn't cutting it. Finally tried putting a cast iron pan on the bottom rack and pouring boiling water in it right when I put the loaf in. That extra steam made the crust way softer and more chewy. I wasted like 20 pounds of flour over 3 months before I figured this out. Anyone else have a stupid simple fix that took them forever to find?
I got a cheap oven thermometer from the grocery store in Portland last spring and just assumed it was close enough. Turns out my oven was actually running 40 degrees cooler than it showed, which explains why my sandwich loaves kept coming out dense and pale. A friend at the farmers market let me borrow her Thermapen to check and I was floored. Has anyone else found a reliable brand for under $25?
I was pulling a 4 tier buttercream cake out of my van and the bottom tier just split right down the middle, probably from the heat. Has anyone else ditched buttercream for fondant on summer orders?
I used to just eyeball my flour and water for sourdough, but after throwing away three flat loaves in a row I bought an OXO scale from Target and now every batch turns out the same, has anyone else noticed a huge difference when they started weighing instead of measuring?