Pro tip: Stop overproofing your sourdough in cold weather

I was killing my sourdough for months. Loaves came out flat every time. Tried everything. Then I tracked the temp in my kitchen. It was 62 degrees. I was proofing for 8 hours like the recipe said. That's way too long at that temp. Cut it to 5 hours and now I get perfect oven spring. Has anyone else adjusted proofing times for winter? How much do you drop it?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaret_lane1d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah but 62 is pretty cold for sourdough. You're right about cutting the time but the reason your loaves were flat is probably more about underfermentation than overproofing. At 62 degrees the yeast activity is really slow so you need longer not shorter bulk fermentation, like 12-14 hours minimum. The problem might actually be your starter's strength or the dough temp itself. Have you tried using a proofing box or even just the oven with the light on to keep it closer to 75-80?

betty_ward1d ago

But you're assuming the dough temp actually stays at 62 the whole time. Most people check it once and think it's steady but it drops overnight. Have you ever actually measured the temp first thing in the morning after a cold bulk? I did that and it was down to 58 even though I started at 62. That added another 4 hours easy. Also if your starter is young or weak the extra time just makes it worse because the bacteria outpace the yeast and you get a flat sour mess. So what are you feeding your starter and how often? Because that matters way more than the dough temp alone.