Vent: Told my sourdough starter was too wet for 2 years

Had a baker in San Francisco watch me feed my starter. She said it looked more like batter than dough. I argued my bread came out fine. Then I cut hydration from 110% down to 80%. Took me 3 loaves to adjust. Crumb structure changed completely. Better oven spring and open holes now. Anybody else stubborn about hydration levels?

2 comments

2 Comments

willow_martin23h ago

Is it really that deep though? Like, you were getting bread you liked out of it, right? I feel like everyone's kitchen and flour and even the weather changes things so much that chasing a specific number feels like a trap. Sure, a pro in SF might have a point, but were you baking for her or for yourself? Maybe your bread was just fine the way you were making it.

nathan19323h ago

Man, that's the thing that gets me... @willow_martin makes a good point about baking for yourself, but here's what I can't stop thinking about: if you spent two years defending a 110% hydration starter, were you just used to the routine, or were you actually getting the results you wanted? I've seen people stick with a bad habit for years just because they were stubborn about changing it. Like, my buddy kept using old baking soda past its date because he didn't want to waste it, but his biscuits came out flat every time until I made him toss it. Did you ever try dropping it to 80% just once before that baker pointed it out, or were you really that set in your ways?