c/bakers

Changed my mind about proofing dough after chatting with a baker in Chicago

I was at this small bakery in Chicago last month and the owner told me she lets her sourdough proof overnight in the fridge instead of on the counter. She said it builds way more tang and makes the crumb softer, so I tried it on my next batch and she was totally right. Has anyone else had luck with cold proofing or do you stick to room temp?

Rethinking the whole 'no-knead' bread trend after a bakery visit

I was at a small bakery in Portland last week and the baker told me he never uses the no-knead method because you lose control over the gluten structure. But I've had great results with it at home for years, especially with my sourdough. Has anyone else found that no-knead bread lacks that chewy crumb you get from traditional kneading, or am I just doing it wrong?

Went to my favorite bakery downtown and noticed the sourdough starter has changed

I stopped into Beignet Bros Bakery in New Orleans last weekend for my usual Saturday croissant. But their sourdough loaf had this weird tangy taste that wasn't there a year ago. I asked the new baker and he said they switched from a 20 year old starter to a quicker one to speed up production. Has anyone else noticed bakeries cutting corners like this lately?

I switched from butter to shortening for pie crusts and it was a disaster

I tried using Crisco in my apple pies last week after reading it makes flakier crusts. Made three pies for a church bake sale in Portland and they all came out greasy with no flavor. My aunt Dottie tasted one and asked if I forgot the butter. Going back to butter for Thanksgiving even if the crust isn't as pretty. Anyone else have a shortening fail story?

Found a bakery in Philly that uses a 100 year old starter

I was in Philadelphia last weekend visiting family and stopped into this tiny bakery called Taffet's. The owner told me their sourdough starter was passed down from a bakery that opened in 1923. I tried a loaf of their country bread and the flavor was way deeper than anything I've made at home. Has anyone else gotten to taste bread from a really old starter like that?

Had a customer tell me my sourdough was too dense so I tried a 12-hour cold ferment instead of 4

Switched to that longer rest and now the crumb is way more open, but I'm still figuring out the timing with my work schedule-anyone found a happy medium that doesn't mess up your whole day?

Finally caved and tried sourdough starter discard recipes

I used to toss my discard every time. Felt like a waste but figured it wasn't worth the trouble. Then a lady at the farmer's market gave me a sample of her discard crackers. She wrote the recipe on a napkin right there. Now I make them every Sunday and they sell out at my stall.

Showerthought: measuring by weight instead of cups changed my banana bread forever

I was at a bakery in Austin last summer and watched the owner dump flour straight into a bowl on a scale, no scooping. Now I do it for everything and my texture is way more consistent, has anyone else switched over?

The 3 hour frosting saga that was really a 10 minute fix

I spent almost 3 hours trying to get my buttercream to stop being grainy. I whipped it, heated it, added more cream, nothing worked. Finally I realized my powdered sugar was old and had clumped up from humidity. I sifted it and the frosting came out perfect in like 10 minutes. Has anyone else had a simple ingredient issue turn into a huge time suck?

Had a brutal Saturday where every single batch of sourdough came out flat as a pancake

Turns out my starter was too cold after I left it near a drafty window overnight, and I didn't notice until after I baked 4 loaves that all turned out dense and gummy - has anyone else had a whole day ruined by one small temp mistake?

Unpopular opinion: Sourdough starter is way overrated for home bakers

I spent 6 months feeding a starter named Gertrude and got decent loaves but nothing special. Give me a good poolish or even a simple yeasted dough with an 18 hour cold ferment - better flavor and way less hassle. Anyone else ditch their starter for something simpler?

The big yeast debate - cold ferment vs. room temp rise, which actually works better?

I've been baking sourdough for about 8 months now, and I kept seeing people swear by cold proofing in the fridge overnight. So I tried it for a few weeks and got decent loaves. But last weekend I did a room temp rise for 6 hours instead (which felt risky, you know?) and the crust came out way crispier with bigger air pockets. Am I just lucky or is the cold ferment thing overhyped for home bakers like me?

Butter temperature debate: fridge cold vs room temp for pie crust?

I was at my buddy's place in Austin last weekend helping him bake an apple pie. He insisted on using butter straight from the fridge, cubed and tossed in the flour. I always let mine sit out for 15 minutes so it's slightly softened but still cold. His crust came out flaky on the edges but tough in the middle. Mine was tender all the way through but didn't puff up as much. Which way do you lean and why?

Tried chilling my pie dough for 2 hours instead of 30 minutes - huge difference in flakiness

I always rushed my pie dough before, just fridge time while I prepped filling. This weekend I let it sit in the fridge for a full 2 hours before rolling and the layers came out so much better, no shrinking in the pan. Anyone else notice a big change with longer chill times?

Took three batches to figure out my starter was hungry, not dead

Last month my sourdough starter stopped bubbling after I moved it to the fridge for a week. I tossed half of it and fed it for two days with no change. Finally tried a 1:5:5 feeding ratio instead of my usual 1:2:2 and it doubled in four hours. Anyone else ever think their starter died when it was just underfed?

Found a cheap trick for keeping dough from sticking without extra flour

I was sick of my dough turning into a gluey mess every time I added more flour to my board. Last week I tried dampening a cloth and wiping the counter with a thin layer of water instead. It worked like a charm on my sourdough batch at 75% hydration. Has anyone else messed around with water vs flour for sticky dough?

Thought I was a pro with my messy buttercream, then I tried a bench scraper

I used to frost cakes with just a straight spatula and my fingers, ending up with crumbs everywhere and a lumpy mess every single time. About 6 months ago, I grabbed a $12 metal bench scraper from a kitchen supply store on a whim, and wow, what a difference. Now I do a quick crumb coat, chill it for 15 minutes, then use the scraper with hot water to get smooth sides in like 2 minutes flat. No more wiping off gobs of frosting or praying the top looks even. Has anyone else switched tools and had it totally change their cake game?

Why does nobody talk about how much humidity messes up your dough?

I was having trouble with my sourdough sticking like crazy last week. Checked my thermometer, oven temp was fine. Then I grabbed a cheap humidity gauge from the hardware store in Portland and it was reading 78% in my kitchen. No wonder my dough was a sticky mess. I had to drop my hydration by like 10% to get it workable again. Has anyone else had to adjust their recipe just because of the weather?

Appreciation post: The bakery in Savannah that still uses a brick oven from 1910

Visited Back in the Day Bakery last month and watched them pull loaves from that old brick oven, and the crust had a color and crunch I just can't get from my home oven - has anyone else found a place with original equipment that made you rethink your whole setup?

Switched from butter to shortening for pie crusts and I get it now

I always thought butter was the only way to go for flavor. But I tried making a cherry pie last week using Crisco like my grandma always did and the crust came out so flaky and tender. The butter version always seemed to leak or get soggy on the bottom. Anyone else find shortening beats butter for certain things?

Last month I tried making a 3-tier cake and it collapsed in my car on the way to the party

PSA: My loaf went flat because I forgot to check my starter

I was baking sourdough in my tiny kitchen in Denver last night. Didn't realize my starter was sluggish, and the dough barely rose. Has anyone else had a batch fail because they skipped a feeding the day before?

Finally figured out why my sourdough was so flat after 3 years of trying

Last Tuesday I was at my kitchen table in Portland, watching yet another pancake-like loaf come out of the oven. I had tried everything from different flours to changing my starter feeding schedule. Then my neighbor, who bakes at a bakery downtown, told me to check my water temperature. Turns out I was using water that was too cold, around 60 degrees, when the dough needed to be closer to 78 for proper rise. Has anyone else had a simple fix like this that took way too long to discover?

My aunt told me to chill with the dough and she was right

My aunt watched me kneading a sourdough batch last Sunday and said I was 'fighting the dough'. She told me to let it rest 20 minutes before shaping. I ignored her for like 6 loaves and kept getting tough, flat bread. Finally tried her way and got the best oven spring I've ever had. Anyone else have a relative who bakes circles around you?

Hit batch #500 this morning and realized something scary

I hit my 500th batch of sourdough this morning and that number surprised me way more than I expected. What got me is that I've been using the same starter since batch #12 and never once tested its pH until last week. Has anyone else gone years without checking their starter's acidity?