A bakery owner in Denver told me my crumb was 'tight as a drum' and it changed how I proof
I brought my sourdough to a small shop on South Broadway in Denver last month and the owner poked it and said the crumb was tight as a drum. She told me I was proofing by the clock instead of by the dough, so I started checking it every 30 minutes with the poke test. My last 3 loaves have been way more open and airy. Has anyone else had a pro point out something that simple and felt a little dumb after?
Poked my last loaf about forty times because I kept second guessing myself and the thing still came out decent. Reminds me of when a guy at a farmers market told me my bread was overbaked and I got all defensive about it, then went home and realized he was right. The worst part is he was nice about it and I still acted like a baby. Took me a few weeks to actually try a shorter bake and of course it was better. Now I try to just listen when someone who bakes for a living says something, even if my pride wants to argue first. Funny how one small tip can undo years of doing it the hard way.