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?

2 comments

2 Comments

bailey.xena2d ago

My tap water here runs around 55 degrees in winter, I started microwaving it for 15 seconds and my loaves finally got that oven spring after two years of frustration.

avery3662d ago

My grandmother used the same cast iron skillet for 50 years. She never measured anything. Just threw flour and water together by feel. I tried that once. Ended up with dough so sticky it glued itself to the countertop and my cat walked through it. Took me an hour to clean up. Sometimes I think we overthink things like water temp when the real fix is patience and practice. But hey, I still burn my toast every other morning so what do I know.