My sourdough finally showed oven spring after 3 flat months

I've been baking every Saturday since January and every loaf came out like a hockey puck. Finally figured out my kitchen is too cold for bulk fermentation after testing with a thermometer. Moved the bowl to the microwave with a mug of hot water and got real oven spring for the first time yesterday. Did anyone else's starter need a warmer spot to actually pop?

2 comments

2 Comments

uma_martinez13d ago

Exactly. Half the stuff we try to do just needs the right environment, not more effort. I see it with my houseplants too - kept moving one around the house thinking it was something I was doing wrong, turns out it just needed a corner with less draft. Once I moved it, it started putting out new leaves. Same with my car battery during winter. It wasn't dead, just needed a warmer garage. People waste so much time blaming themselves when the real fix is just changing where or how something sits.

the_mila12d ago

You ever seen someone try to fix an old lamp five different ways before realizing they just needed a warmer bulb? @uma_martinez is spot on with that. My buddy spent months trying to get his guitar to stay in tune, finally found out it was the cold draft from his window.