Remembering the old school way I used to proof my sourdough

I used to just leave the starter on the counter overnight and hope for the best, which led to some real brick loaves. After a string of failures about two years ago, I switched to using a cheap digital thermometer to check the water temp, aiming for 78 degrees exactly. Anyone else have a small change that made a big difference in consistency?

4 comments

4 Comments

lucast811mo ago

Honestly, the biggest game changer for me was ignoring the clock and just watching the dough. I got a clear tub to let it proof in, and I look for that specific jiggle and rise. Temperature control is smart, but my kitchen's warmth changes daily, so a fixed time never worked. What does your dough look like when you decide it's ready?

felixm291mo ago

The poke test never fails me, just a gentle finger dent.

henryt181mo agoMost Upvoted

How do you know the dent is deep enough without over-proofing it?

felixhenderson18d ago

Oh man, I feel you on that! I've had SO many loaves I was sure were overproofed just because the clock told me so, but they turned out Perfect. The clear tub method is genius, I might have to steal that idea.