She claimed it's more consistent for bulk fermentation in her sourdough blends, and I'm wondering if I'm wasting time blooming active dry for no reason, anyone else ditch the old stuff?
My crusts were always soggy on the bottom. Drove me nuts for months. Tried different flours, different temps, nothing worked. Then I talked to this old baker at a spot in Brooklyn. He told me to preheat my pizza stone for a full hour at 550. Then right before I slide the pizza on, I sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal on the stone. Not just a dusting, a real layer. That extra buffer soaks up the moisture from the dough before it can steam. First pie I tried it on? Crispy as hell. Has anyone else got a weird trick from a pro that sounded dumb but actually worked?
Ngl, I just hit 1,000 loaves of bread baked in my own kitchen. I've been keeping a tally on a chalkboard near my oven for about 3 years now. It started as a joke but seeing that number on the board last Tuesday made me stop and think. Most of them were simple sourdoughs with a basic 80% hydration recipe. I never thought Id stick with it this long or actually care about the count. Has anyone else tracked a random baking milestone like this?
I spent about $60 last year on a set of those high end silicone baking mats from a well known kitchen brand. Thought they'd be my go to for cookies and everything else, but they just don't brown the bottoms the same way parchment does. My chocolate chip cookies came out pale and soft on the bottom, which is fine for some folks but I like a little crispness. I tried adjusting oven temps and bake times three different ways, still didn't get the results I wanted. Now those mats just sit in my drawer while I'm back to buying $4 rolls of parchment paper. Has anyone else had a similar issue with silicone taking away that oven spring or browning?
I was at a bakery workshop in Portland last spring, and this guy in his 70s kept insisting that cold hands make better croissant dough. He said body heat ruins the butter layers and you gotta run your wrists under cold water every few minutes. I tried it for a batch and my hands cramped up so bad I nearly dropped the whole thing on the floor. On the other hand, my first few croissants were flaky disasters before I switched, and these came out decent. But I also wonder if he was just old school and maybe modern fridges do the job well enough without the pain. Has anyone else heard this tip or tried it long term? Does it actually change the crumb structure or is it more about keeping the butter cold during the folding?
I used to pound my dough like it owed me money. Every batch came out dense and flat. Then I took a class at a local bakery in Portland and the instructor watched me for 2 minutes. She said 'you're tearing the gluten, stop fighting it.' I switched to gentle folds and stretches instead of slamming it on the counter. Now my crumb is actually open and airy. Anyone else have a moment where you found out your whole technique was off?
It happened last Tuesday morning. I went to feed my starter like I do every week and it was just... dead. No bubbles, no smell, just a gray layer on top. I kept it in the back of my fridge in Cleveland and it survived two moves and a power outage. Now I gotta wait at least a week to get a new one going. Has anyone else lost a starter they had for years?
Ngl, I used to just sprinkle flour on my bench with my bare hands for 10 years until I finally bought a proper fine-mesh sieve last spring. At my aunt’s bakery in Portland we’d just grab handfuls and toss it, but now I sift everything for my laminated doughs and it’s way more even. Has anyone else made the switch from rough tossing to sieving and noticed a big difference?
Was at a bakery in Portland last summer, just watching the morning rush. Guy named Sal must be 70, he sees me eyeballing his croissant dough. He says 'your hands are too warm, kid.' I never thought about how my own body heat affects the dough. He made me stick a thermometer in my palm, it was 98 degrees. Now I ice my hands before laminating in summer. Has anyone else changed a basic habit from one random pro?
Turns out my tap water had too much chlorine, switched to filtered and it finally took off after 3 days. Anybody else run into water issues with their starter?
I picked butter chunks at room temp and got way flakier layers than my usual melted method, so has anyone else found a specific butter temp that works best for pastry?
I was at the county fair 3 weeks ago manning my booth and this guy walks up maybe 70 years old. He watches me work for a minute then says your starter looks tired feed it with wheat flour instead of white. I shrugged it off but tried it that night. My starter doubled in size for the first time in months. Guess the old ways still work. Any of you ever get advice from a stranger that actually made sense?
I used to buy those pre-made crusts from the grocery store every time I made a pie. Didn't think homemade was worth the hassle. Then last Saturday I tried a recipe from an old cookbook my grandma left me that had a tip about using ice cold butter and a fork to mix. The texture was SO much better, flaky and buttery instead of that cardboard taste. I measured the cost too - it came out to about $1.50 per crust versus $3.50 for the store ones. Has anyone else switched and noticed a big difference?
I used to fight with dough stuck to a stainless steel bowl for years, scraping it off and losing half the batch. Then I picked up a simple wooden mixing bowl at a yard sale in Portland for $3 and tried it last Tuesday. The wood grain actually grips the dough just enough to knead it without sliding around, and cleanup is just a rinse and dry. Anyone else use wooden bowls or am I just late to this trick?
I spent months buying expensive instant yeast packets online because everyone said the store brand was hit or miss. But last week I grabbed a jar of the store brand for $2.50 and my sandwich loaves came out perfectly tall and soft. Has anyone else had good luck with basic yeast brands?
I keep a tally on my fridge and crossed 500 this week. Never thought I'd get that high when I started last year with a failed starter. How many loaves have you guys pushed through your ovens?
I keep a little tally on my whiteboard for how many loaves I bake from scratch each year. Yesterday I finished loaf number 500 for 2024 and I honestly thought I miscounted. I went back and added up the weekly totals and sure enough it was right. That's almost 10 loaves a week for me between farmers market orders and my own kitchen. Has anyone else ever hit a random number that made them step back and realize how much they actually bake?
I started keeping a tally on my little chalkboard above the oven back in March 2022, mostly to see if I'd actually stick with it after that first brick of a loaf. This past Tuesday I pulled number 500 out of the oven and just kinda stood there staring at it. It's not like I'm a pro or anything, just a home baker who got obsessed during the lockdown days. The weird part is that I can count on one hand the number of times I got that perfect oven spring everyone posts about. Most of my loaves are a little lopsided or the scoring looks like a toddler did it. But hitting that number made me realize how much small repetition adds up even when each individual loaf feels like a failure. Has anyone else tracked their bake count just for fun or am I the only weirdo with a chalkboard tally?
I've been fighting with flat loaves for like 6 months. Tried different flours, hydration levels, you name it. Then a baker at a local shop in Portland told me my banneton was the problem. I was using a metal bowl with a towel, which sounds fine but it wasn't letting the dough breathe right. Picked up a proper rattan proofing basket for $60 and my loaves actually hold their shape now. Has anyone else had better luck with a specific brand or size of banneton?
I spent months wondering why my crusts would pull away from the edges every time I baked a pie. Turns out I was overworking the dough and not letting it rest long enough in the fridge - I'd give it maybe 15 minutes instead of the full hour. Last weekend I let it sit for 45 minutes wrapped up and used cold butter cubes instead of grated. The crust came out perfect, no shrinking at all. Has anyone else had luck with a different resting time or method?
I've been baking for about 3 years now, mostly bread and rolls. I keep seeing online recipes and videos where people say your dough has to be 78F or it won't work right. But I've had great results at 72F in my kitchen during winter and even 80F in summer. My starter acts totally fine either way, just takes an hour or two difference. Am I missing something or is this just people being overly precise for no reason? Has anyone else ignored the temp thing and still gotten good oven spring?
I stopped by a little bakery in Portland last weekend, and I saw three different bakers all pulling from what looked like identical starter jars... it got me thinking. The owner told me they all started from a single batch she got from a baker in San Francisco 5 years ago. Has anyone else noticed how many bakeries in one area seem to be working off the same lineage?
I used to let my brioche proof for like 3 hours on the counter until it was HUGE and puffy. Then my bread always came out dense and greasy, not light and fluffy like I wanted. Last month I was at a bakery in Portland watching this old baker work and he pulled his brioche after only 90 minutes. I asked him about it and he laughed and said you're basically melting the butter out of the dough if you go too long. Tried his timing that same weekend and my brioche came out SO much better, like taller and more tender inside. Now I keep a close eye on the clock and pull it when it's grown about 75 percent, not doubled. Has anyone else been overproofing their enriched doughs without realizing it?
I kept seeing people rave about it online but figured it was just extra work. Last Sunday I had some leftover milk so I gave it a shot. That loaf stayed soft for 4 days on my counter. Normally my bread gets stale after day 2. Is this just one of those tricks that actually works or did I get lucky with my kitchen conditions?
I got obsessed with perfecting a sourdough discard cookie recipe back in February. My kitchen looked like a flour bomb went off every weekend for four weeks straight. Turns out the trick was letting the dough rest for exactly 45 minutes in the fridge (not 30 or 60). Has anyone else gone on a baking bender like that where you just refuse to give up on one thing?