Customer said my sourdough was too dense. Turned out I was rushing the bulk ferment.

I've been baking for about 2 years. A lady at the farmer's market told me my loaves felt like bricks. Cut my bulk ferment time from 6 hours to 10 hours and now I get those big open crumb pockets. Anyone else struggle with judging when the dough is actually ready?

2 comments

2 Comments

tyler_wilson1d ago

Cold dough is a killer too. I was pulling mine straight from the fridge and it took forever to get any rise. Letting it sit out for an hour before shaping made a massive difference. Wetting your hands helps keep the dough from sticking during stretch and folds, which is huge for building that gluten strength.

joel6031d ago

Man, nothing like getting roasted by a farmer's market critic to really humble your baking game. That lady probably threw your loaf in the compost bin as soon as she got home. Cold dough totally sabotages everything, and @tyler_wilson nailed it with the stretching thing. Wet hands are a game changer unless you enjoy wrestling with a sticky monster that fights back. My advice is to just trust the dough's feel over the clock - your hands know when it's done way better than a timer ever will.