Learned sourdough timing the hard way at a farmer's market

Set up at the Portland Saturday Market last month. Had 40 loaves proofed and ready to bake at 5 AM. Then my starter decided to take a nap. Lost about 15 loaves to overproofing before I figured out the overnight temp drop messed with my schedule. Anyone else have a starter go lazy on you at the worst possible moment?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_piper17d ago

15 loaves lost to overproofing. Oof. That's a whole table of sad, flat bread right there. @umathompson sounds like they've been burned by a starter too. My own starter's been known to stage a sit-in right when I need it most. Guess it's just the sourdough gods reminding us who's actually in charge.

umathompson17d ago

Sourdough is a lot like life in general - it ALWAYS goes sideways when you need it to be perfect. The overnight temp drop is just one of those sneaky variables that reminds us nature doesn't care about our deadlines. The real lesson is that even the best plans need to leave room for the unexpected.

-1

aaronclark17d ago

@umathompson That's true. Everything from traffic to baking follows the same rule.