The time I trusted my starter over the recipe and it paid off

Last month I was making a double batch of sourdough for a market and my starter was super bubbly but the recipe called for a 12-hour bulk ferment. I cut the time to 8 hours because it already looked doubled and passed the poke test, and the loaves came out with the best oven spring I have ever seen. Has anyone else had good results from listening to their dough instead of the clock?

3 comments

3 Comments

tarabell1mo agoMost Upvoted

Ended up doing something kinda similar with my ciabatta last week. Recipe said 18 hour cold ferment but I pulled it out after 14 because the bubbles were already looking like big oil bubbles on the surface and it smelled super sour. Baked it straight from the fridge and got these giant irregular holes all through the crumb, the kind you see in bakery photos. My husband said it was the best sandwich bread I've made all year. Makes me wonder if I've been overproofing my stuff for years following those long times.

emmaclark1mo ago

But how did you know the bubbles were the right size? I always second guess myself on that part because every recipe says different things about when to pull the dough.

wesleyb201mo ago

That sour smell is actually a better tell than any bubble size in my experience. If it smells like yogurt or sourdough starter before you even open the container, the yeast has already eaten through most of the sugar and you're probably past the window for good oven spring. The bubbles on top can look huge from trapped gas even when the dough is underproofed on the inside. I'll poke a finger in the side, if it springs back slow and leaves a little dent that's my real cue. Your mileage may vary but I've had more misses trusting timing charts than trusting my nose.