c/bakers

I used to think sourdough was just a fad until I tried a starter from a bakery in Portland

Last week, I finally gave in and got a piece of starter from a friend who visited a place called Tabor Bread. I fed it for three days, following their exact 75% hydration ratio. The loaf I baked on Friday had a crust and crumb that completely changed my mind. It was nothing like my usual quick yeast bread. Has anyone else had a starter that totally shifted how they bake?

Overheard a couple arguing about 'artisan' bread prices at the grocery store

I was picking up flour yesterday and this guy was telling his partner that paying $8 for a loaf of sourdough was a rip-off. He said, 'It's just flour, water, and salt, how hard can it be?' I mean, idk, maybe it's just me but it made me think about how we explain our own pricing. I bake about 30 loaves a week for a small cafe, and between the starter upkeep, the 18-hour proof, and the oven time, that $8 starts to look fair. Has anyone else had to break down the real cost of a 'simple' loaf for someone who doesn't bake?

Overheard a customer at the market say my sourdough was 'like the one from that bakery in San Francisco', and I've been smiling for a week.

My uncle told me to stop using a scale for bread and it was a disaster

My uncle, who ran a bakery in Portland for 30 years, told me last month that real bakers don't weigh ingredients for simple white bread. He said to just use cups and go by feel. I tried it for a whole week, making a loaf every day. The first one was a dense brick, the next was a gummy mess, and the third just didn't rise at all. I finally went back to my scale and weighed out the flour for his exact recipe. Turns out my 'cup' of flour was almost 50 grams heavier than his. The next loaf was perfect. Has anyone else had a family member give them advice that just completely backfired?

My friend said my cinnamon rolls were too dense... and she was right

She told me last week, 'You're overworking the dough, it feels like a brick.' I always kneaded for a full 10 minutes by hand. I tried her tip to stop as soon as it passed the windowpane test, which was only about 6 minutes. The next batch was so much lighter and fluffier. Has anyone else had a kneading time that was way off from what a recipe said?

Showerthought: My sourdough starter was a total flop until I switched to bottled water

The tap water in my town is so hard, it killed three batches before I tried using a $1 gallon of spring water from the store. Has anyone else had starter issues that just came down to the water?

A bakery tour in Portland made me rethink my sourdough starter schedule

I visited a small bakery called The Crusty Owl last month where the head baker told me she only feeds her starter once a week and keeps it in a cooler. I've always done daily feeds at room temp. She says her way builds more complex flavor, but I worry about it being strong enough. Has anyone else tried a weekly feed cycle and had good results?

Question about a sourdough starter that finally worked after a month

Last month, I tried a new feeding schedule with my starter, using half rye flour and half bread flour, and kept it in the oven with the light on. After four weeks of flat, sad results, it finally doubled in size overnight and baked into a decent loaf yesterday. What's the longest you've had to wait for a starter to really get going?

I finally had a wedding cake order go completely sideways

Last month, a client ordered a three-tier vanilla cake with buttercream roses for 80 people. The delivery was on a Friday at 2 PM. I baked the layers on Thursday, but my fridge's thermostat failed overnight and the buttercream split. I had to remake the entire frosting batch at 6 AM and re-crumb coat everything, which made me two hours late. The venue in Springfield was not happy. Has anyone else had a major equipment failure right before a big delivery, and how did you handle it?

Just hit 1,000 perfect croissants in a row and I'm kind of freaked out

I've been tracking my batches at the shop for six months, and after this morning's bake, my notebook says I haven't had a single lamination failure or underproofed batch since March. It feels like a weird baking fluke that's bound to break any day now. Has anyone else ever hit a streak this long and then immediately messed up?

PSA: Tried a 24-hour cold ferment for my sourdough vs the usual 8-hour one

The longer ferment gave way more flavor and a better crumb, hands down. Anyone else have a sweet spot for bulk fermentation time?

Just dodged a huge mistake with my sourdough starter after a tip from a baker in Boise.

I was about to toss my starter because it had a layer of dark liquid on top after I neglected it for a week. Thought it was a sure sign of mold or death. But I remembered a baker I met at a market in Boise last fall who told me, 'That's just hooch, you idiot. Pour it off, feed it, and it'll come back.' I was skeptical, but I did exactly that. Fed it equal parts flour and water (50 grams each) twice over 48 hours, and it's bubbling like crazy now. Has anyone else revived a starter that looked completely gone? What's your 'last resort' feeding ratio?

My sourdough starter was a sluggish mess until I switched its feeding water

I started using bottled spring water instead of tap, and after about 4 days it doubled in size way faster. Anyone else find their local water is the secret problem?

Honestly, don't buy that cheap digital scale from the discount kitchen store

Tbh, I grabbed one for $12 last month thinking it was a steal. It worked okay for a week, then started giving me different readings for the same scoop of flour. I wasted a whole batch of sourdough starter and about $8 worth of good rye flour because the measurements were off by over 20 grams. Has anyone found a reliable brand that won't break the bank?

My wife said to try a little vinegar in my pie crust dough

I was skeptical, but adding just a teaspoon to the ice water made the pastry so much easier to work with and flakier. Has anyone else tried this trick with different types of vinegar?

Showerthought: I put my sourdough in the fridge for a cold ferment and it came out flat as a pancake.

Left it for almost 48 hours and the yeast just gave up... anyone know the sweet spot for a fridge proof?

Unpopular opinion: I'm seeing way too many 'cloud bread' orders lately

Last week at the shop in Portland, we got three separate custom requests for it in one day. A month ago it was maybe one a week, and three years back nobody even asked. It's basically just egg whites and cream cheese, so it feels weird charging full cake prices for something with so little actual baking involved. Has anyone else had to figure out a fair price for these trendy low-carb things?

Walked into a new bakery in Springfield and saw them using margarine for their croissants

I stopped by this place called 'The Golden Crust' on Main Street yesterday morning. I watched them through the kitchen window while I waited, and they were pulling big blocks of yellow margarine out of the fridge for lamination. The croissants looked shiny and perfect, but I could tell the texture was off when I bit into one. It was kind of waxy and didn't have that real butter flavor at all. Has anyone else noticed places cutting corners like this lately?

Appreciation post: I finally figured out why my sourdough was always flat

I mean, for like a year my loaves came out dense and never had that nice spring. I watched a video from a baker in Portland last week where she said to really feel the dough's strength, not just go by the clock. So I tried it, and after 4 folds I could tell it was way more elastic than usual. I guess I was just rushing the bulk ferment the whole time. Has anyone else had that lightbulb moment with their starter?

Warning: The bakery in the old train station on 5th has a very dedicated sourdough starter

I went in for a croissant yesterday and the baker pointed to a bubbling jar he calls 'Betsy' that's been alive since 1998. He said it's the only employee that gets its own office chair. Has anyone else seen a starter with better benefits than the staff?

Vent: I dropped $200 on a fancy digital scale and it just collects dust

Everyone says you need one for perfect baking, but my trusty old mechanical scale from a yard sale is way faster for my daily bread. The digital one is too fussy for a busy morning. Anyone else find that simpler tools work better for them?

The day my sourdough starter tried to redecorate my kitchen

I left my 3 month old starter, 'Bubbles', on the counter overnight in a jar I thought was big enough. Woke up to find it had blown the lid off and painted my white cabinets with a lovely, sticky, beige abstract art piece. What's the most explosive baking fail you've ever cleaned up?

TIL a bakery in Portland taught me to stop over-mixing my pie dough

I watched their baker fold the butter in by hand for maybe 30 seconds, max. My crusts used to be tough, but now they're flaky every time. Anyone else have a simple trick that fixed a basic technique for you?

I thought sourdough starters were just a trendy fad until my neighbor in Boise gave me a 5-year-old one that made my sandwich loaves taste like they came from a real bakery.

After feeding it for a month and baking a dozen loaves, I finally got the open crumb and tang I'd been chasing with commercial yeast for years, so has anyone else had a starter completely change their basic bread game?

My kid's teacher said my gingerbread house looked 'like a real home' at the school fair

She told me it was the 'warm feeling' from the extra cinnamon in the royal icing that did it, which honestly I just threw in on a whim. Has anyone else had a tiny spice change get that kind of reaction?