Nearly ruined a $200 batch of sourdough because I forgot to check my starter temp during that July heatwave

I was at the community bake-off in Austin last summer and my dough came out like a brick, so now I keep a cheap probe thermometer clipped to my starter jar at all times, has anyone else had their starter go wild in hot weather?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant1551d ago

Yeah @alicer53, I feed mine every 12 hours when it hits 90F to keep it from going sour.

daniel_cooper341d ago

Oh come on, you guys are way overthinking this. I've been baking sourdough for years and never once checked my starter temp with a thermometer. Mine sits on the counter through every Texas summer just fine. The whole point of sourdough is that it's a living thing that adapts, not some lab experiment you have to micromanage. If it gets too sour from the heat, use it for a more tangy loaf or add a pinch of baking soda to balance it out. All these gadgets and strict feeding schedules just take the fun out of it. Your grandma probably kept her starter in a crock on the shelf and it turned out amazing bread every time without breaking out the probe thermometer.

alicer531d ago

Oh man, that starter thermometer is such a smart idea! I bet that heatwave made it go totally bonkers, mine turned into a bubbly volcano last summer and I had to feed it twice a day just to keep it from overflowing.