That week I ruined three batches of sourdough in a row taught me something

Started last Tuesday with my starter going flat, then Wednesday my oven temp was off by 25 degrees and I ended up with hockey pucks. By Thursday I was so frustrated I almost tossed the whole thing, but then a neighbor told me to check my water temperature and that fixed everything. Has anyone else had a bad streak like that and figured out it was one small thing causing all the trouble?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_claire1mo ago

Fixed my issue by writing down every single step with exact temps and times. Turned out my kitchen was draftier than I thought so my dough temp was dropping way too fast during bulk fermentation. Got a cheap oven thermometer too and realized my oven runs hot when it's on the bake setting but cold on convection. Now I keep a notebook clipped to my fridge and write down room temp, water temp, dough temp at each stage. Been 3 months since I ruined a batch.

john6501mo ago

Wrote down the room temp before you even started sounds like overkill until you realize how much difference ten degrees makes in a three hour rise. Could probably skip the notebook if you just heated the kitchen up a bit and kept the dough in the same spot every time though. Drafty kitchens are a pain but at least now you know exactly what to look for instead of guessing.