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My neighbor said my sourdough looked like a 'sad pancake' and I finally listened
I was so proud of my starter, Fred, and baked a loaf every weekend for months. They always came out flat and dense, but I figured that was just how my bread was. Then my neighbor, who used to run a bakery, came over, poked one, and said, 'Honey, this looks like a sad pancake. You're killing the yeast with water that's too hot.' I was using water straight from my kettle, probably around 140 degrees. I felt so dumb. I got a cheap kitchen thermometer and now I always check that the water is just warm, about 95 degrees, before I feed Fred or mix my dough. The difference is crazy. My last loaf actually had an ear and spring. Has anyone else had a simple tip completely fix a long-running baking fail?
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elizabethn561mo ago
Sometimes the fix is that simple... we just need someone to point out the obvious.
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taylor_hayes251mo ago
Remember the time I nearly boiled a new battery to death? The post was so hot it melted the casing. @the_cole is right, it's a classic mistake. I learned to always check the water temp with my wrist, like for a baby's bottle. That simple habit saved my next three starters.
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