Size matters in baking vessel

The French standard in bread baking yields two loaves. Many people, including me, made the mistake of thinking the whole dough goes into the oven…nope! Most recipes will have 1000g of flour total, or close to that, and will be divided into two equal boules. Do not make the mistake of baking in too large a pot.

Final proofing: fridge vs counter

The long story short is; final proofing in the fridge will take longer but will develop better flavors in the bread. The counter means a shorter proofing time and less flavor development. Here is what I prefer:

My starter has come out of hibernation

When winter approaches one must protect their sourdough starter. The yeast you capture thrive in warmth. As September turns to Fall it can, in some areas of the country/world to keep your yeast happy and active. 

How I score

The biggest mistake new bakers make is scoring too deep and too wide. It is not necessary to stab the bread like you are avenging some long dead family member. Instead, a simply slash will do.

Scoring, the why and the how

There a debate in the sourdough world…a knife fight to be exact. Scoring, should you or should you not? Sometimes I do and sometimes I do not. Just depends how I feel. What it is and how to do it? Let us talk about it.

I just made a rookie mistake

I had to share this mental mistake. We all make them and it does not matter how long you have been in the kitchen, they will happen. I broke my own rule!

My favorite recipe for excess starter

When you have an active sourdough starter you will be feeding and discarding a fair amount of it. While I love to make new things with my starter, let us face it, I often do not want to start a whole new recipe with multiple steps with strict time consideration, etc. Sometimes I just want to make something that takes no time at all. Here is my favorite.