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Learned the hard way at a 2017 baking competition in Portland
I was at the Oregon State Fair back in 2017 for a sourdough competition, and the heat in the tent was brutal. My dough kept overproofing because nobody told me the tables were right next to a convection oven exhaust. That day I started using a thermometer to check my bench temps before mixing, and it saved me from ruining a lot of batches since. Has anyone else had a recipe tank because of a weird venue setup?
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nina_johnson862mo ago
Had a buddy who entered his pies in a county fair bake-off and the fridge they assigned him was cranked so cold his butter crust turned into a brick. Did he ever get them to check the temp before the next round?
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uma6851mo ago
i mean, i sorta get why people blame the fridge or the heat or whatever, but sometimes i wonder if it's more about knowing your dough and adjusting. like that sourdough story - a thermometer is a good idea, but i've seen bakers in even worse conditions pull off perfect loaves just by feeling the dough and watching the clock. one time at a backyard cookoff, the grill was so uneven i had to shift my tray every few minutes to keep my croissants from browning on one side. maybe it's just me but i think blaming the setup sometimes lets us off the hook for not adapting fast enough.
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