Realized my sourdough starter was way too cold for 6 months

I never understood why my bread came out flat and dense every time. Kept it on my kitchen counter in winter, around 60 degrees. Then my buddy who bakes at a shop in Portland told me starters need to be at 75-80 to really thrive. Threw a heating pad under it and bam, first loaf had actual oven spring. Anyone else keep theirs too cold without realizing? How do you manage temp?

2 comments

2 Comments

josephbutler18d ago

Honestly, that heating pad trick is a game changer. I had my starter living on top of my fridge for like a year thinking it was fine, but I guess fridges give off weird heat that's not consistent. My loaves were always kind of sad and dense, no oven spring at all. Then I got one of those reptile heating mats from a pet store, set it to a steady temp, and my first real loaf came out with a crust that cracked when I cut it. Tbh I still don't know why reptile gear works better than kitchen stuff, but it does.

lopez.simon18d ago

Huh, I mean, idk if my bread game is that serious but maybe you're onto something with the reptile mat thing. Sounds like a lot of work for a loaf of bread though, no?