Baked 100 loaves of sourdough this year and finally got a decent ear

I kept a tally on my fridge since January and hit 100 loaves yesterday, which felt like a big deal since my first few were hockey pucks. The last one actually popped open with a crispy ear and a nice crumb, so I guess all those dense disasters taught me something. Anybody else track their bake count or just me?

3 comments

3 Comments

lee.drew29d ago

Used to think tracking bakes was overkill, like counting steps or something. Then my buddy showed me his notebook with 200 plus entries and notes on temp, humidity, starter activity. Now I keep a sticky note on my fridge. Turns out knowing my third batch sucked because my kitchen was too cold is actually useful for loaf 101.

joel_butler26d ago

Did the extra hour of bulk ferment fix the dough feel or make it worse?

reeseperez29d ago

You ever try using a voice memo instead? That's what I do. On my phone I just talk out the bake while it's happening, stuff like "sticky dough today, kitchen feels colder than usual" or "bulk ferment took an extra hour." Then I transcribe the good notes later. Helps me catch little things I'd forget to write down, like how the dough felt when I shaped it.