I just baked my 50th loaf of sourdough and finally got the crumb right.

After months of dense, gummy results, I finally hit that 50-loaf mark. The key was letting my starter sit out for a full 8 hours after feeding it, not just 4 like the recipe said. My last loaf had those perfect, open holes I'd been chasing. Has anyone else found their starter needs more time than most guides suggest?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylorcarr1mo ago

That 8-hour window is interesting. Did you also change your bulk ferment time after seeing how active your starter was?

derek9391mo ago

Oh man, totally. I used to just stick to the recipe times no matter what. But seeing that starter go nuts made me cut the bulk ferment way shorter, and the bread turned out SO much better.

susanh4612d ago

Yeah I used to be one of those people too who thought you had to follow the timeline to the minute. I read all these blogs saying "8 hours bulk ferment no exceptions" and I was like ok fine I'll do it. But honestly watching that starter just double in size in like 4 hours made me realize my kitchen temp is totally different from whatever they tested in. Now I go by look and feel way more than the clock and my crumb is way more open and airy. Its wild how much you learn once you stop being so rigid about it.