c/bakers

Walked into an old bakery in Philly last month and saw they still use a 1950s Hobart mixer that’s never been serviced.

That thing had to be 70 years old but it churned dough like new, and I’m wondering how many of us are keeping old gear running instead of upgrading to the shiny stuff.

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hunt.quinn•1d ago

Talking to my grandma about pie crust changed how I measure flour

She told me she always scoops and levels with a knife instead of using a scale like I do, and I laughed until her shortcut crust came out perfect 3 times in a row. Has anyone else had a family member's old-school method totally upend what you thought was the 'right' way?

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dianal94•3d ago

My pie crusts were tough for 5 years and I had no idea why

I used to wonder why my pies always came out dense and chewy instead of flaky. Then last Thanksgiving my aunt watched me make dough and said "why are you kneading it like bread?" It hit me that I was overworking the butter into the flour way too much. I always thought you had to get it completely mixed until it looked like cornmeal. Turns out leaving pea-sized chunks of cold butter is what makes the layers happen. Now I barely touch the dough and my crusts actually come out light and crispy. Has anyone else been doing it wrong for years without realizing?

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anna_ross19•4d ago

Found a weird trick for fixing dry dough that actually saved my batch

Was making a big batch of sourdough on Tuesday and added too much flour by accident, ended up with this crumbly mess that wouldn't come together. Tried spritzing water from a spray bottle while kneading, like 3 or 4 squirts at a time, and within 2 minutes the dough turned normal. Has anyone else tried this method or do you just toss it and start over?

3 comments

owens.cameron•6d ago

That one Saturday where EVERYTHING went wrong with my croissants

I had a day last month that was just brutal. I was making a batch of 48 croissants for a Sunday farmers market. My butter block was perfectly cold but it cracked during the first fold. Then the dough got too warm and started sticking to the counter like crazy. I had to toss the whole thing and start over at 10 PM. The second batch turned out okay but the layers were not as nice. Has anyone else had a single day that just wrecked your whole baking schedule?

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dakotawood•6d ago

After 10 years of using instant yeast I finally tried a sourdough starter and the flavor difference in my sandwich bread was night and day.

What convinced me was a customer at the farmer's market who said my loaves tasted 'flat' compared to the bakery down the street, so I spent 2 weeks building a starter from scratch and now I won't go back to packets for anything but pizza dough - has anyone else noticed how much more complex the crumb gets with a natural leaven?

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derekjenkins•8d ago

Spent 4 hours trying to fix a dough that wouldn't rise before realizing my yeast was dead

I was so stubborn thinking it was the temp or my starter ratio that I wasted a whole afternoon. Has anyone else just tossed old yeast instead of troubleshooting everything else first?

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thomas.parker•8d ago

Found my missing baking tool at a garage sale of all places

I lost my good bench scraper about 6 months ago and was using a dull knife for scoring and cutting dough. This past Saturday I stopped by a garage sale in my neighborhood and found a vintage metal bench scraper for 50 cents. The handle is worn smooth but the blade is still sharp and it works better than anything I could buy new. Has anyone else had luck finding old baking gear at thrift stores or sales?

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chen.casey•9d ago

The one weird trick that fixed my baguette scoring overnight

I was scrolling through a King Arthur Baking blog post last Tuesday and found out that the angle of your lame matters way more than I thought. Turns out holding it at a 30 degree angle instead of flat makes the dough open up like a flower instead of just sitting there. Has anyone else found random blog posts that totally change how you shape your loaves?

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jamesfox•9d ago

Always thought sourdough starter was too much work, finally gave in

I used to buy those instant yeast packets for everything, figured keeping a jar of flour goo alive was just extra hassle. Then my neighbor dropped off a loaf from her 3-year-old starter, and the flavor was like nothing I'd ever gotten from commercial yeast. She showed me her feeding routine, it's literally 5 minutes every other day. So I took a cup of her discard and started my own last Tuesday. Anyone else have a moment where a friend's baking made you completely switch your method?

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the_nina•10d ago

Appreciation post: hand kneading vs the kitchenaid hook

I grew up watching my grandma hand knead every loaf she ever made. She swore by the feel of the dough, said the machine made it tough. When I started baking on my own, I went straight for the Kitchenaid hook because it saves time and my arms don't ache. But a few months back, I tried her way on a batch of sourdough and the crumb came out way softer than my usual. I spent about 3 hours total, hands in the dough, and it honestly felt more connected to the process. Now I swap between methods depending on my mood but her method won me over for rustic loaves. Anyone else find hand kneading gives a better texture or am I just being nostalgic?

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bettywood•10d ago

Now I refrigerate my pie dough instead of freezing it - saved a birthday cake disaster

I was at my kitchen in Provo last Saturday making a double batch of pie crust for my son's birthday party, and I froze the discs like I always do. But when I tried to roll them out, they crumbled into greasy chunks because the butter got too cold and didn't incorporate right. I had to toss the whole batch and start over with refrigerated dough, which rolled out perfect in 10 minutes. Has anyone else had better luck with fridge vs freezer temp for pastry?

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lauras83•11d ago

The day a customer taught me about bread hydration

I had this older guy at my pop-up stall last Saturday who watched me scoop dough for about five minutes. He finally says, "You're working that dough too dry for a sourdough, kid." I was using 70% hydration and he insisted I bump it to 78% right there on the spot. The crumb came out way more open and the crust cracked just right. Has anyone else had a random stranger give them advice that actually worked out better than their usual method?

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kaid59•15d ago

Switched to cold proofing my dough overnight and never went back

For like 3 years I always let my bread dough rise at room temp for 2 hours. Then I read a post from a baker in Vermont who said she puts hers in the fridge for 12 to 18 hours. I tried it last Tuesday and the crust came out way crispier with more oven spring. The flavor was deeper too, not just plain white bread taste. Now I plan my bakes a day ahead instead of rushing same morning. Has anyone else noticed a big difference with longer cold proofing times?

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the_piper•19d ago

My stand mixer started smoking mid-crust yesterday

I was halfway through a double batch of pie dough for a holiday order and my KitchenAid started making this awful burning smell and smoke. Had to unplug it fast and finish the dough by hand with a pastry cutter which took forever. Anyone had luck getting these things repaired locally or should I just start saving for a new one?

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nancy475•19d ago

That baker who told me to chill my butter for biscuits was completely right (and I was wrong)

So I've been making biscuits for years, you know, just throwing cold butter into the flour like everyone says. But this older baker at a farmers market in Austin last summer told me I should actually freeze the butter for 30 minutes before grating it into the flour. I thought she was crazy, like what's the difference between cold and frozen really? Turns out a lot. I tried her method last weekend for a big brunch and the biscuits came out fluffier than ever, with actual visible layers instead of my usual dense hockey pucks. But then I got to thinking, is this just a gimmick for people who don't know how to handle dough right? Or is it a real game changer? Has anyone else tried this frozen butter trick and had it backfire or work perfectly? I mean my biscuits were good before but now I feel like I can't go back.

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the_matthew•20d ago

I finally tried a sourdough starter from scratch... and I'm split on whether it's worth it

I spent two weeks feeding a starter in my kitchen here in Phoenix, where the dry air made it act weird. Got a decent rise on my first loaf but the flavor was just okay, not as complex as the one I bought from a baker in Flagstaff last fall. Is the homemade route really better, or am I just missing some trick with the temp and hydration?

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nathanj56•20d ago

A customer's offhand comment about my bread texture made me realize I was overkneading for years

I was at a farmers market in Portland last Saturday and this older guy bought a loaf of my sourdough. He took a bite right there and said 'this is good but it's a little tough, you're working it too much.' I thought I had the perfect method down but he was totally right. I started cutting my knead time by like 5 minutes and the crumb got so much softer and open. Has anyone else had a random stranger drop a tip that totally changed their baking?

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perry.evan•21d ago

My sourdough came out like a brick last Thursday and I actually think I fixed it wrong

I was in my kitchen at 5am before work, shaping my usual weekly batch. I had been fermenting for 18 hours which is my standard, but the dough felt super slack and sticky. I added a handful of flour during shaping, which I always read is a bad move because it toughens the crumb. Loaf came out dense with almost no oven spring, maybe 1 inch tall instead of 3. A week later I tried the same recipe but just worked wetter dough into a round without any extra flour, and it actually rose better. Anybody have a different take on handling sticky dough without ruining the structure?

3 comments

williams.kim•22d ago

That fancy Danish dough whisk I bought was basically a gimmick

I dropped $25 on a Danish dough whisk last month because everyone on Instagram swore it was magic for mixing sticky doughs. First time I used it for a sourdough batch, the wires bent out of shape after like 3 stirs. Now I'm back to using my old wooden spoon and it works way better for half the price. The wires on that whisk just don't have enough support for stiff dough, especially when you're mixing in mix-ins like seeds or nuts. I should have stuck with what I know works instead of falling for the hype. Has anyone else had their dough whisk warp on them, or did I just get a dud one?

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jana_fox50•22d ago

Burned $60 on a proofing basket that fell apart in 3 weeks

Bought one of those rattan proofing baskets from a random online shop. Seemed fine at first. After the second use the inner coil started unraveling. By week three it was completely warped and dough kept sticking to the rough spots. Lost a whole batch of sourdough because it tore the skin. Anyone had better luck with a specific brand or should I just stick to mixing bowls with towels?

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emma_clark•22d ago

Wasted $40 on those silicone baking mats that everyone raves about

I finally caved and bought a pack of those fancy silicone baking mats from a kitchen store downtown. After three uses they started getting sticky and weird, and my cookies spread out like pancakes. I thought they'd save me money on parchment paper but now I'm back to using the paper and tossing it. Anyone else have these things go bad on them super fast?

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the_avery•24d ago

Shoutout to my grandma for telling me to chill on the dough hydration

When I started baking bread a few years ago I kept making dough that was WAY too sticky. My grandma watched me struggle one Sunday and said 'honey you gotta feel the dough not measure it to death.' I thought she was just old school but she was right. After I stopped blindly following recipes and started adjusting water by a tablespoon at a time my loaves came out perfect. Has anyone else had a family member give you baking advice that ended up being spot on?

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the_thomas•25d ago

Visited a bakery in Portland last week and noticed nobody used commercial yeast

The baker told me they let their sourdough starter ferment for 72 hours and the crust had a tang I've never got at home, has anyone else tried an extended cold ferment that long?

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umathompson•26d ago

My sourdough starter went crazy after I switched to filtered water

I've been using tap water for my starter in Portland for like 6 months and it was always sluggish. Last Tuesday I used bottled spring water instead and the thing doubled in size in 4 hours... never seen that before. The chlorine in tap water must have been holding it back. Anybody else have their starter react weird to different water sources?

3 comments