I finally switched to a digital scale after 15 years of scoop-and-level

My sourdough crumb was never the same after I moved from New York to Denver. The altitude changed everything, but it took me another 6 months to realize my flour was packing differently in the cup. Has anyone else had to relearn their recipe after moving to a new city?

3 comments

3 Comments

charles_kelly4326d ago

Oh man, moving from sea level to altitude completely wrecked my baking too. I moved from Boston to Salt Lake City and my sourdough was like a brick for two months. What finally clicked for me was realizing I had to weigh everything by grams instead of cups, and then I had to reduce my water by like 15% because the dry air was pulling moisture out of my flour before I even mixed it. I also started using a warmer water temp and shorter bulk ferment times since my dough was drying out on the counter. Honestly, switching to digital was the best thing ever for consistency, but I still keep a notebook with altitude adjustments written down for every recipe.

taylor.amy26d ago

The thing nobody talks about is how altitude messes with your yeast biology, not just your chemistry. I read a study once that showed yeast cells actually reproduce faster at high elevation because the lower air pressure makes them less stressed. So if you're using the same amount of yeast you'd use at sea level, your dough is basically overpopulated with hyperactive little creatures. That's why your sourdough turns into a brick - the yeast eats all the sugar too quickly before the gluten has a chance to trap the gas bubbles. Try cutting your starter amount by a third and see if your bulk ferment times actually need to be longer, not shorter, once you get the moisture balance right.

hollyc9212d ago

That's a super interesting point about yeast stress and reproduction rates at altitude. It explains why my doughs would blow up so fast in the first hour then just collapse. I started doing a cold bulk ferment in the fridge overnight and that helped a ton with the overactive yeast. Gives the gluten more time to develop without the yeast going crazy and running out of steam early. Have you noticed any difference with how long you need to cold proof compared to sea level?