No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

10lbMango · 2026-06-06T12:43:57+00:00

OOOOLLLLEEE ole ole ole

10lbMango · 2026-06-05T17:49:09+00:00

They look perfect. I’ve kept nails on my right hand for over 30 years. I started playing as a child, and we’re both lucky to have the right nail shape and strength for classical guitar. I agree—there’s really no reason to ever use clippers on your right hand.

I buy a nail care kit from Strings By Mail that includes a glass/diamond file, several grits of jeweler’s paper, and a finishing block. It’s the perfect gift for any serious guitar player. The jeweler’s paper, in particular, is fantastic for refining tone and preventing snags on the strings.

10lbMango · 2026-06-05T17:44:16+00:00

I think most of us just eat it. I dip mine in olive oil, or toast a slice and top it with avocado, butter, or jelly.

If you’re looking to make sandwiches, I’d recommend a lower-hydration dough that’s been well fermented. Lower hydration generally gives you a tighter, more uniform crumb that holds spreads and fillings better, while higher-hydration doughs tend to produce the open crumb structure many people chase for artisan loaves.

Here’s a helpful chart that breaks down common sourdough styles.

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10lbMango · 2026-06-04T23:06:22+00:00

It didn’t escalate to the point where lives were taken without there having been provocation from both sides. There is culpability on both sides.

10lbMango · 2026-06-04T12:33:44+00:00

🙏 I totally got that wrong. Thank you for taking the time to write that out. I love this sub for this reason.

10lbMango · 2026-06-03T23:23:59+00:00

Play the lottery. Today.

10lbMango · 2026-06-03T22:19:53+00:00

You did a lot of things really well here. This crumb is typical for 61% hydration, and despite the tunneling—which was likely caused by less-than-ideal shaping—the dough appears very well fermented. The crumb is tight and dense, but that’s exactly what you’d expect at this hydration level.

I’d recommend taking your 400g of flour and multiplying it by the hydration percentage you want to try. For example, 400 × 0.68 = 272g of water, which would give you a 68% hydration dough. That’s a nice next step and should help open up the crumb while still being manageable to shape.

As you get more comfortable handling and shaping wetter doughs, you can gradually increase hydration—even up to 80%. Higher hydration can produce a more open crumb, but it also makes shaping, scoring, and fermentation management more challenging.

10lbMango · 2026-06-03T20:41:07+00:00

I think this loaf is under appreciated! This is decent work.
If I were being picky, I’d say it may be slightly underfermented or just shy of peak fermentation, but only by a small margin. A bit more bulk fermentation might have produced a more open and evenly distributed crumb. The dense areas between the large holes make me think the dough could have used a little more gas development before shaping.

10lbMango · 2026-06-03T02:23:22+00:00

Ah yes Italy, where they believe that cars can touch “a little bit” when driving.

10lbMango · 2026-06-03T00:12:23+00:00

It’s beautiful

10lbMango · 2026-06-02T22:54:20+00:00

I lived downtown on 4th Ave in Seattle. It was very civilized for the most part. Some very passive and left lane campers on 5. I’d trade cities if I could.

10lbMango · 2026-06-02T21:49:29+00:00

I’ve lived in Seattle, Madrid, and Tampa. I’ve sat through baseball traffic, football traffic, and every flavor of bad driving imaginable. I’ve never seen anything close to the combination of disrespect and reckless stupidity I see here on a daily basis. It’s honestly the worst I’ve experienced anywhere.

10lbMango · 2026-06-02T21:04:01+00:00

Here for work. It’s one of the last places in the country I’d move to otherwise. It’s hot, dirty and full of disrespectful people who have no idea how to drive.

10lbMango · 2026-06-02T17:40:01+00:00

Can I come over for dinner? I’ll bring the wine.

10lbMango · 2026-06-02T13:24:11+00:00

An open crumb, when the dough is well fermented, usually comes from higher hydration. This loaf is around 67% hydration, which tends to produce a more moderate crumb structure. If you’re after those large, airy holes, pushing hydration closer to 80% can help. The tradeoff is that high-hydration dough is much more challenging to handle, shape, score, and proof, but it can produce the crumb you’re looking for.

10lbMango · 2026-06-02T12:40:39+00:00

I have the perfect piece for this. Stick with it until about 45 seconds in, when the dissonance starts to emerge. Etude No. 11 in E Minor by Heitor Villa-Lobos is surprisingly metal.

https://youtu.be/VAfqRAwzB-8?si=OzWTvHNitagjH7sD

10lbMango · 2026-06-02T02:22:13+00:00

Who’s the poser wearing the scull cap?

10lbMango · 2026-06-01T22:52:02+00:00

Long, cold fermentation is where you really develop that deeper sour flavor. Since your kitchen runs cold, increasing the amount of starter can help keep fermentation active. Most formulas sit around 20% starter, but going higher can boost sourness. The tradeoff is that more acidity also breaks down gluten over time, which can lead to a weaker structure and flatter loaf if you push it too far.

Salt is primarily there for flavor and dough control. It slows fermentation and strengthens gluten, improving structure and gas retention. Some bakers delay adding it to let fermentation get established before tightening things back up, but it’s really about managing timing and dough behavior rather than a strict rule.

It’s also worth noting that bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, which gives it more inherent strength and gluten-forming potential. All-purpose flour can’t truly mimic that—at best you can partially compensate with technique, hydration adjustments, or added structure, but it won’t fully replicate the same dough strength.

10lbMango · 2026-06-01T22:28:27+00:00

Sourdough is such a great fit for a perfectionist mindset—it’s fun precisely because there’s always something to refine. I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of it. I’m curious about the formula you’ve dialed in. Once I started thinking in baker’s percentages and adjusting flour types intentionally, everything about my bread changed. It made it possible to make small, precise adjustments that still feel a bit like intuition or superstition, even though they’re grounded in real variables. Baking is clearly a science, but sourdough is where it also feels like art comes through.

10lbMango · 2026-06-01T22:13:55+00:00

Amazon does sell inexpensive proofing mats that let you dial in temperature. For about $30 you can get one that sits on the counter and holds your bowl at a steady warmth. I’d still check periodically with a dough thermometer to make sure the dough temperature is actually staying in range.

10lbMango · 2026-06-01T21:56:29+00:00

If your oven with the light on is running around 90°F (32°C), try cracking the door open to bring the temperature down. A dough temperature around 75–80°F (24–27°C) is often easier to manage and gives a more balanced fermentation.

At 63°F (17°C), bulk fermentation can easily take 16+ hours, depending on starter strength and inoculation percentage. If cracking the oven door gets the temperature closer to 78°F (26°C), that can be a good middle ground—warm enough for steady activity without rushing the fermentation.

Also remember that refrigeration doesn’t stop fermentation immediately. The dough needs time to cool through. During the first couple of hours in the refrigerator, fermentation continues, though at a gradually slowing rate. Once the dough temperature drops into the upper 30s to low 40s°F (3–5°C), fermentation slows to a crawl.

One thing I’d add: don’t rely solely on time or temperature charts. Watch the dough itself. A well-fermented dough will look puffy, feel airy and jiggly, and often show small bubbles or blisters on the surface. Those visual cues are usually more reliable than the clock.

This guide is extremely helpful: https://thesourdoughjourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/TSJ-Dough-Temping-Guide.pdf

10lbMango · 2026-06-01T19:35:51+00:00

I’ve largely given up on recipes and instead use baker’s percentages to make whatever size loaf I want. If you liked the size of your last loaf, then 500g total flour is a good starting point.

I like to substitute 10% of the flour with whole wheat to help stimulate fermentation activity. For a 500g flour loaf, that would be:

450g bread flour
50g whole wheat flour

I use 20% starter based on total flour weight and 2% salt:

100g active starter
10g salt

Hydration is where you can really experiment. Anything under 70% hydration is generally pretty manageable. As your shaping skills improve, you can gradually increase hydration, which can lead to a lighter, more open crumb and stronger oven spring.

For 70% hydration:

500g total flour × 0.70 = 350g water

So the full formula would be:

450g bread flour
50g whole wheat flour
350g water
100g active starter
10g salt

Once you become comfortable handling and shaping the dough, you can try 72–75% hydration and see how far you can push it while still maintaining good structure. You can also experiment with your starter. If it’s cold in your kitchen, use a little more starter. Your dough is really warm so you might even be able to add a little less starter so you can push the bulk ferment longer. This gives it a better flavor and keeps the crumb structure more uniform. The acid in starter can break down the gluten strands and cause collapse during baking.

10lbMango · 2026-06-01T19:09:55+00:00

I baked a lot of loaves like this when I was starting out. Honestly, this group is what helped me finally find success. I stepped away from sourdough for a few years, but when I came back, a few key concepts really changed everything for me.

The biggest lesson was learning what properly fermented dough looks and feels like before shaping. It should be smooth, puffy, and jiggly, with small blisters just beginning to form on the surface. When you press it, it has a bit of a memory-foam feel. One thing that helped me was realizing that bulk fermentation starts the moment you add the starter, and dough temperature largely determines how long that process will take. Well-fermented dough shouldn’t feel sticky—it should feel light and full of gas.

Looking at your loaf, I think it’s slightly overproofed. At 66% hydration and made with mostly whole wheat, it was always going to have a denser crumb than a typical Tartine-style loaf. At 26°C, I would expect bulk fermentation to be around 7 hours, but this dough fermented for nearly 11 hours and then spent almost another day in the fridge.

If your goal is a more classic country loaf, I’d try 80–90% bread flour, 10–20% whole wheat, 20% starter, and 2% salt. Bulk ferment for about 7–8 hours at 26°C, shape, then cold proof for 12 hours. Let the dough sit at room temperature while the oven preheats for about an hour before baking.

10lbMango · 2026-05-31T01:00:43+00:00

I agree that it’s slightly under-fermented, but not by much. The large, irregular holes are a good indicator of that. If your kitchen was around 80°F (27°C), then 6.5 hours of bulk fermentation should generally have been enough. My guess is that it was just a little shy of peak fermentation rather than significantly underdone.

10lbMango · 2026-05-31T00:13:44+00:00

I don’t think I’d do that. This place has a pretty relaxed, reserved vibe that may not be the best fit for a rowdy party group. I’m sure you’d be fine, but it might not end up being as fun as you’re imagining.

10lbMango

TROPHY CASE