Burned my third batch of sourdough this month and I'm about to give up

I overheard a guy at the grocery store say he swears by a Dutch oven for crusty bread, so I tried it last night with my starter that's been going for like 6 weeks. Set the timer for 20 minutes at 500 degrees, pulled it out and the bottom was charcoal while the top was still doughy. My oven runs hot I think, because the recipe said 475 but my thermometer inside read 510. Anyone else have a wonky oven and found a way to adjust without ruining another loaf?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire_ramirez2mo ago

Honestly 500 degrees is basically a pizza oven, not a bread oven.

gavinlopez2mo ago

6 weeks is barely a starter, man. I've seen people go 6 months before they get consistent results. That oven temp difference is annoying but you're acting like you ruined a wedding cake, not a lump of flour and water. My oven runs 25 degrees cold and I just set it higher and check things early. Maybe dial it back to 450 and give it 30 minutes next time. Are you using a baking stone or just throwing it in a pan?

lewis.troy1mo ago

Gavin's right about the starter thing but acting like it's no big deal to burn three loaves in a month? That's flour and time and effort. My oven's off by 15 degrees and I had to learn the hard way too. Set it to 450 and use a thermometer in the loaf, pull it when internal hits 200. And check the bottom after 15 minutes or put a cookie sheet under the Dutch oven to stop scorching.