Had to choose between a sourdough starter or instant yeast for a big order

A local cafe in Boise wanted 50 loaves of sourdough for a weekend event. I had to decide between using my 5-year-old starter, which is slower, or adding a bit of instant yeast to speed up the bulk ferment. I went with the starter, trusting the flavor, but it meant pulling an all-nighter to manage the timeline. The bread turned out great, but I'm wiped out. Has anyone else faced a tight deadline and stuck with a traditional method over a faster one?

3 comments

3 Comments

sam_hayes31mo ago

Honestly, pulling an all-nighter for bread sounds a bit extra. It's just a cafe order, not a museum piece. Couldn't you have just used a tiny bit of yeast to help out and still gotten good flavor?

fionalopez1mo ago

That push to stick with the slower, traditional way even when it's harder, it's everywhere. Like choosing to fix an old appliance with parts from a repair cafe instead of just buying a new one, or handwriting a long letter. It feels like a small act of keeping something real alive, even if it costs you sleep.

the_caleb1mo ago

Man, that reminds me of the time I tried to hand-whisk meringue for a huge pavlova.