c/bakers

Sour dough starter exploded in my 3 am feeding, what do I do with banana bread batter now?

My starter doubled in 4 hours and bubbled over the jar onto the counter during a 3 am feeding last Tuesday, so I scooped what was left into a banana bread batter but it came out gummy and dense, has anyone salvaged an overproofed starter this way or should I just compost the loaf and start fresh?

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josephmartin•2d ago

Unpopular take: I quit weighing my flour and my bread got better

I know everyone online swears by the digital scale. Been baking sourdough for about 4 years now, mostly weekends. Last month I was in El Paso for a delivery and forgot my scale at home. Had to eyeball everything with a measuring cup. Figured the loaves would turn out like bricks. Honestly they came out lighter and more open crumb than what I get with my usual 250g flour, 200g water routine. Did it again this Sunday just to check. Same result. Maybe all that precision was making me overthink the dough. I aint saying scales are useless for pastry or super exact recipes. But for a basic country loaf, cup measures work fine if you know what the dough should feel like. Has anyone else tried ditching the scale after years of weighing? Or am I just getting lucky? The hydration guess is usually around 70 or so, but I go by feel now.

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faith_king•3d ago

Spent $220 on a proofing box, my bread still fell flat but my ego took the hit

Tbh I thought a fancy proofing box would fix my dense loaves, so I grabbed one from a local supply shop in Portland last month. Set it to 78 degrees like the manual said, waited 4 hours, and the dough looked perfect but baked up like a brick. Turns out my yeast was dead, not the temp, and I only checked it after the second failed batch. Has anyone else dropped cash on gear before realizing the problem was something dumb and basic? I'm back to using a warm oven with a mug of water, and honestly my wallet wishes I did that first.

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nora_park•3d ago

Sourdough starter went flat after moving to Denver last month

I've been baking sourdough for about 3 years back in Ohio and my starter was super reliable. Last month I packed up my jars and moved to Denver, and within a week it stopped bubbling entirely, even after feeding it twice a day with my usual 50/50 bread flour and water mix. I tried switching to bottled water and adding a bit of rye flour, but it's still sluggish. Has anyone else dealt with high altitude killing their starter, and did you just wait it out or change your feeding schedule?

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oscarhart•4d ago

Swapped my stand mixer for hand kneading after 3 failed sourdough loaves

The dough felt different, took 20 extra minutes each batch, but the crust came out with that open crumb I could never get from the machine, so is the elbow pain worth it or should I go back?

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wesley_adams•4d ago

Those silicone proofing mats were a total waste of 25 bucks

I bought a set of those fancy silicone proofing mats last month because I was tired of dough sticking to my counter. Followed the directions, used flour, everything, and my sourdough still glued itself right to the surface. Lost the whole batch and the mats are sitting in a drawer now. Anyone else find a brand that actually works, or is parchment paper just the way to go?

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the_grace•6d ago

Sour cream in cake batter, I was a skeptic until last Tuesday

I've always stuck to buttermilk for my yellow cakes, even won a small contest with it back in 2019. But my aunt swore by sour cream, so I finally swapped it 1:1 in my standard recipe at my shop in Portland. The crumb was way more tender and it stayed moist for 3 days instead of going dry. Anyone else made the switch and never looked back, or am I just late to this party?

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murray.drew•9d ago

Bought a $140 proofing box and it barely kept 75 degrees

Last week I finally caved and ordered one of those fancy proofing boxes off Amazon after my oven with the light on kept dropping to 69. Wasted $140 on it, the thing fluctuates like 10 degrees even in my kitchen in Portland. My sourdough came out flat as a pancake twice before I checked it with a second thermometer. Anyone else get burned by cheap proofing gear or should I just go back to the microwave with a hot water mug?

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taylorellis•17d ago

Sourdough starter crisis after 2 weeks of neglect, should I revive or restart?

I forgot my starter in the back of the fridge while I was on a 10 day work trip to Denver. When I got back, it had a layer of gray liquid on top and smelled kinda like nail polish remover. I scooped off the hooch and fed it, but it's been 3 days and it barely bubbles. My friend says just start over, but I've had this starter for 8 months and it makes the best crusty loaves. Has anyone brought a starter back from this state, or am I just wasting flour? Should I keep feeding it for another week or cut my losses?

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blair_webb•20d ago

Is convection baking ruining crusts or am I just stubborn?

I switched my bakery over to convection last month for everything from baguettes to pie shells, and my crusts come out darker on one side every single time unless I rotate pans mid-bake. My old assistant swears it's the fan placement in my GE oven, but my new hire says I just need to drop the temp 25 degrees and stop fussing. I tested 3 batches of croissants last Tuesday with the same dough and the only difference was the rack position, so I'm leaning toward it being an air flow problem. Is anyone else dealing with hot spots like this, or do I need to go back to still air for delicate stuff and just eat the longer bake times?

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the_kim•20d ago

Rant: my $300 dough sheeter almost became a very expensive doorstop

Picked up a used dough sheeter off FB marketplace for $300 last month, thought I was scoring big. Got it home, fired it up, and it kept jamming on the rollers no matter what I did. Turns out the previous owner never cleaned the gears, just let flour and grease cake up in there for years. I spent a whole Saturday tearing it apart, scrubbing every gear with degreaser and a toothbrush, and now it runs like a dream. Lesson learned though, always ask to see the machine run before you hand over cash. Anyone else bought used bakery gear that needed way more work than the listing suggested?

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daniel_martin•21d ago

Cold butter for croissants? I was wrong for two years

I always chilled my butter blocks before laminating, thinking it kept the layers crisp. Problem was, my croissants kept cracking and the butter would shatter into chunks. After 6 failed batches in a row, a guy at the local baking supply shop told me to let the butter sit at 60 degrees for 20 minutes before rolling. I thought he was nuts. Tried it anyway last Sunday and the dough folded like a dream, no cracks, even layers. The butter smeared evenly instead of breaking. Made 18 croissants and they all puffed up perfect. Has anyone else had better luck with slightly warmer butter, or is my kitchen just too cold normally?

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taylorc40•21d ago

My pie crust finally stopped cracking after I switched flours

Used the same recipe for 4 years, always fought with shrinking edges and cracks. Tried a bag of pastry flour instead of all-purpose last Sunday and it rolled out smooth, no patches needed. Anyone else find flour brands make that big a difference, or was it something else?

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rubysingh•23d ago

Fresh yeast vs dry yeast comparison, fresh blew it out of the water

I've been using dry active yeast for like 10 years and never thought twice. Last week my usual brand was out at the store in Austin so I grabbed a block of fresh yeast from the fridge case. The rise on my dinner rolls was honestly ridiculous, almost double the height in 40 minutes less proofing time. The flavor had this subtle sweetness that dry yeast never gave me. Cost difference is real though, the fresh was about $3.50 for a block versus $6 for a big jar of dry that lasts ages. Anybody else made the switch and dealt with the shorter fridge life of fresh? I'm worried about wasting half a block next time.

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ellis.leo•24d ago

Hand kneading vs stand mixer, my 20 minute epiphany in Cleveland

I used to swear by my stand mixer for every dough, thought hand kneading was for people without arms or patience. Last Sunday I had to make two loaves at a friend's place in Cleveland, no mixer in sight, so I dove in. I timed myself: 18 minutes of hand kneading got the same windowpane test as 10 minutes of machine mixing, which shocked me. The texture felt more alive, and the bread rose maybe 15% faster in the afternoon sun, not bad for free exercise. Still, my wrists were sore the next day, so I'm not fully converted. Has anyone else noticed a real difference in flavor or crumb between the two methods, or was it just a fluke with that particular flour?

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lindal13•24d ago

I used to pooh-pooh bread flour, but a $9 bag changed my mind last Tuesday

For years I baked all my sandwich loaves with all purpose. I figured why bother, it's all wheat right? Then my neighbor brought over a loaf she made and the crumb was just... different. Chewier, taller, held together better. She said she used bread flour from the bulk bin at our local co-op, cost her under nine bucks for enough for four loaves. I tried it that weekend with the same recipe I've used for three years and the dough actually felt stronger when I kneaded it, like it fought back a little. The loaf rose about 20 percent higher than usual. I still use AP for cakes and muffins, but for anything yeasted I'm converted. Has anyone else noticed a huge difference, or do you think it's all in my head?

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adam_patel•25d ago

My sourdough starter exploded all over the kitchen ceiling last Tuesday

Ngl, I was so proud of that starter, fed it every day for 3 weeks straight. Then I left it in a sealed jar on the counter while I ran to grab lunch in Phoenix. Came back to paste dripping down the cabinets, my ceiling, and even the light fixture. Took me 2 hours to scrub it all off with vinegar and paper towels. Has anyone else had a starter blow its lid like that, and what jar setup do you use now to avoid the mess?

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jenny_hall•26d ago

Hit the 1,000 loaf milestone this morning and it caught me off guard

I've been baking sourdough out of my home kitchen for 7 years and somehow that 1,000th loaf on my old cast iron dutch oven snuck up on me, but it made me realize how many small tweaks I've learned since loaf number one, so what number surprised you in your baking journey?

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lindal13•28d ago

Rant: organic flour at that little Portland bakery got me thinking

I stopped by a small shop on SE Hawthorne last Tuesday and they charged $18 for a 5-pound bag of organic flour, but their croissants were only $4. I get the sourcing cost, but is a premium ingredient worth 4 times the grocery store price when the final product tastes almost the same? Anyone else feel like the organic label just inflates the price for home bakers?

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joel_hall17•29d ago

Vent: my sourdough starter went silent after moving it to the garage

I keep my starter in the garage because the kitchen gets too warm in the afternoons, but after 3 days of no rise, I found the thermometer read 54°F. I moved it back inside next to the water heater and fed it twice as much flour and water this morning. Has anyone else had a starter struggle after a temperature drop, and did it come back quickly or take a week?

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harperg76•1mo ago

I finally tried freezing my cookie dough and now I have two camps in my kitchen

Last month I was prepping for a church bake sale in Tulsa and got tired of rolling dough at 6 in the morning. So I tried freezing scoops of my chocolate chip dough on a sheet pan overnight, then bagging them. My sister says the texture changes and she can taste the freezer, but my husband swears the cookies come out chewier. I honestly think the cold dough spreads less and keeps the centers soft, which solved my flat cookie problem from before. But maybe I am just fooling myself because it is more convenient. Has anyone else done a side by side test with fresh versus frozen dough, and did you notice a real difference in the final bake?

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jordanblack•1mo ago

Took me 3 years to realize my sourdough starter was starving for rye

After blaming my oven, my flour, and even the tap water in Portland for 36 flat loaves, I switched to a 20% rye feeding routine on a whim and got a full oven spring the very next bake, has anyone else had their starter suddenly wake up from just one grain swap?

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jake986•1mo ago

That bakery expo in Portland showed me my starter was too wet this whole time

I went to that big baking trade show at the convention center last month, and a guy from a sourdough spot in Seattle grabbed my hands and said "feel how tight that dough is, yours is basically soup." Got back home, cut my hydration from 78% down to 68%, and my loaves finally hold their shape in the oven. No more frisbee flatbreads. Has anyone else had one of those demos where you realize a core habit was off for years? What ratio worked best for you after making that switch?

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wendy628•1mo ago

My stand mixer almost caught FIRE mid-batch of cookie dough

I was making a double batch of chocolate chip cookies last Sunday for a bake sale at my kid's school in Portland. About halfway through creaming the butter and sugar, I smelled this horrible burning plastic smell. I looked down and saw SMOKE coming out of the vents on my 10 year old KitchenAid! I panicked and yanked the plug out of the wall. Turns out the grease in the gears had basically turned to sludge and the motor was overheating BAD. I let it cool down for an hour, then took the back cover off and cleaned out all the old crud. I repacked it with fresh food grade grease I had to order online. It's running quieter now than it has in years but I'm scared to use it for heavy doughs anymore. Has anyone else had their mixer do this and is it safe to keep using for bread dough?

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milesbailey•1mo ago

Serious question, when did bread flour stop being bread flour?

I've been baking bread for over 30 years now, and I keep noticing the younger bakers at the shop grabbing all-purpose flour for their sourdough loaves. They tell me it's fine, that protein content doesn't matter that much anymore. But I've tested it side by side three times now with the same recipe. The all-purpose batch came out flat every time, while the bread flour batch had that nice tall rise and chewy crust. The protein difference is usually around 3 percent between the two, which is nothing to ignore if you want structure. Has anyone else seen this trend at their local bakeries or is it just the folks here in Portland?

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