My neighbor's comment on my sourdough starter changed my whole approach

I was pulling a loaf out of the oven in my garage last month, and my neighbor Frank walked by and said 'Your crust looks great, but you're feeding that starter too warm.' I'd been using water straight from the tap, about 75 degrees. He told me to try 65 degree water from the fridge, and my next batch had way better rise and flavor. Has anyone else had a simple tip like that completely fix a baking problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

quinnr407d ago

Your crust looks great, but you're feeding that starter too warm"... classic Frank, casually dropping a bread-making truth bomb. It's always the neighbor who looks like he only eats microwave dinners who knows the secret. Guess I'll be checking my tap water temperature now too.

evan_burns956d ago

Frank might be overthinking it. My starter gets warm tap water straight from the faucet and it's never had a problem. The yeast is tougher than people give it credit for. A few degrees won't make or break your loaf.

thompson.nathan7d ago

Wait, is that why my starter smells like a frat house? I mean, I just use whatever water comes out of the tap, so maybe @quinnr40 is onto something. Guess my bread's been partying a little too hard.