I finally figured out why my sourdough kept falling flat in the summer

Last week in my Phoenix kitchen, I realized my starter was overproofing way too fast with the heat. I started feeding it with cold water from the fridge and keeping it in the coolest corner of the house. The next loaf I baked had way better oven spring and didn't spread out like a pancake. Has anyone else had to change their routine when the weather gets hot?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason_lopez1mo ago

Wait, you keep your starter in Phoenix without AC? That's wild.

jade5171mo ago

Used to think starters needed room temp no matter what. Mason_lopez is right about Phoenix heat changing things. My own starter turned to soup last July before I tried the cold water trick. Keeping it in a lower cabinet made a huge difference too. The dough holds its shape better when it hasn't fermented into a puddle overnight.

the_lee1mo ago

Honestly I read somewhere that a lot of bakers just use fridge water for their feed during summer.