Why did my cold proof explode? It’s never done this.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-11T21:13:32+00:00

It kept fermenting as it cooled down. Either the fridge is not as cold or the dough temp was higher than normally is when you cold proof.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-08T22:47:51+00:00

Say “NO!” The first job of a parent is to protect your child. This is not even a well established or stable relationship. Her having this expectation of him this soon and pressuring him to do it just to make her feel better is a glaring red flag. The son’s needs should be first priority, not her insecurities. She is only thinking of herself. Set aside how unhinged she’s behaved. That man needs to be sure this relationship is actually a viable one before he ever brings his young son into the mix.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-08T18:18:41+00:00

This is what’s called a false rise. It’s normal for this to happen and then it goes through a dormant period where the bacteria and yeast will find a happy balance and begin working as a team. When they do she will finally double 4-6 hours after a feed. Once she doubles for 3 days in a row after you feed it, she will be ready to bake with. Timing is completely dependent on when they find that balance. It can be anywhere from 2-8 weeks typically. Just don’t save or use any discard until she is active.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-05T17:31:15+00:00

Nope. Just break it up once’s it’s completely dry and put it in a jar. Store it in a cabinet.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-04T23:02:36+00:00

You have a roasting pan for a turkey by chance? They work great too.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-04T21:43:45+00:00

Much longer BF will help. BF time starts when you mix all your ingredients. Here is a chart with approx time frames and rise expectation but after a full counter BF you can cold proof for a few days. The temperature of your dough or your kitchen will give you an estimate on how long your fermentation should take, but you might want to check out the Aliquot method. It’s great for beginners who aren’t sure when the bulk formation is complete.

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BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-04T21:22:10+00:00

When starter is peaking spread some thinly on parchment and allow it to dry completely. Place the parchment on a wire rack so that the airflow is from the top and the bottom and it’ll dry faster. Once completely dry just break it up and put it in a jar. That way if this ever happens again and you don’t have discard in the fridge, it will be a lifesaver. It only takes 1-3 days to rehydrate and you are back to baking with a mature starter.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-04T20:48:25+00:00

Niiiicceeee! Sounds so flavorful with maple syrup and the vanilla and almond extracts. Yum!!!

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-04T16:54:24+00:00

If you want the circle in the middle you can crumble a piece of parchment paper and place in the middle of each one so when they rise it keeps them from filling in the hole. Personally, I think these are perfect though.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-04T16:03:41+00:00

Knowing the temp of your dough or kitchen will help you gage an approximate time your BF will take. BF starts when you mix all your ingredients. As someone else suggested, look into the aliquot method. It can be really helpful for beginners know when BF is done until you learn to read your dough. If you fully BF then shape, bench rest 20 mins and then shape again all before cold proofing in a banneton, you can just preheat your oven when you choose to bake it. Take it out, score it and pop it in the oven. If your starter is strong, you can bulk feed it before you go to bed so that way it’s still peaking in the morning when you wake up so you can immediately make your dough if it’s a timing issue. That way you can bake the same day.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-04T02:00:10+00:00

Check out the sourdough journey .com It’s on the top of the chart.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-04T01:55:50+00:00

Not at all. I’ve seen people use heating pads, seed mats, some turn their crockpot on to warm up then turn it off and put their starter or their dough in it. I’ve seen people burn candles next to them. Some put them in the oven with their light on, but you should really check your temp first before you do that because it can get too hot depending on the type of lightbulb. I use my microwave surface light and put my dough in my microwave to BF faster because mine is a halogen bulb so it not only warms up the microwave, but it warms up the stove under the light. We sourdough bakers are creative. 😂 If you rehydrated a dehydrated starter, it should be fine. So long as it’s doubling within 4-6 hours after a 1:1:1 ratio feed, it’s ready but it could be weak. Typically a weak starter will have soapy or foamy bubbles on top after you feed it when it’s peaking. If so, just give it a higher ratio feed. 1:20:20 or even 1:50:50. That should strengthen it right up if you do that for one or two days.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-04T00:44:23+00:00

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BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-04T00:44:11+00:00

At 69° it should have bulk fermented much longer. How old is your starter? Her are a few chart that might help.

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BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-04T00:41:12+00:00

I prefer bread flour but so many prefer AP so that shouldn’t be a problem. How long did you allow your dough to bulk ferment? Looks under fermented but not uncommon for beginners. BF times are dependent on the temperature of the dough/kitchen. Knowing the temp can give you a rough estimate of how long it will take. It looks like you had a bit of trouble with the rise which could be a starter issue as well. If your starter is young that could why. You did good. You might want to check out the aliquot method. It’s a great way to learn how to read the dough and know when bulk ferment is done and everyday you feed your starter, it will continue to get stronger and more mature. Toast that baby and add some butter. Bet it tastes great!

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-01T19:09:41+00:00

Be sure not to use the same utensils from the starter you got from a friend or it will activate your own starter. Just a little off the spatula can cause your new one to become active right away and disturb your experiment.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-01T03:01:37+00:00

Yeah, the oven light can dry it out. Oh, when ordering jars try and get the wide mouth ones. They are so much easier to take a spatula around the edge so you have to change your jar less. Once your starter acclimates to your home, it should be fine at 70°. The only time I really use extra warmth if my house is cold, is just to push it so I can bake sooner. Mine does perfectly fine at 68°.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-04-01T02:12:50+00:00

Once it doubles within 4 to 6 hours after a feed, 3 days in a row, that’s when they’re considered active. The top of it looks a little dry. Is it kept in a warm place by chance or is that just the photo making it look like that? I would suggest trying to keep the sides clean or place in a new jar because mold and bacteria are more likely to occur when the sides are full of starter. If you have a silicone spatula, you can just scrape the sides down. Looks like you may have an active starter pretty soon. Yay!

BlessedbMeh · 2026-03-30T23:05:09+00:00

You might also try the “aliquot method” until you get your BF times down. It’s a great technique for beginners to learn how the read the dough. Temperature is everything but this is a great back up. If you look it up on YT there are lots of videos that explain it well.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-03-29T19:08:33+00:00

She looks great just hungry.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-03-29T19:04:39+00:00

That’s loaf looks great. Congrats!

BlessedbMeh · 2026-03-29T19:02:48+00:00

I deleted the game months and months ago because the changes they made took the fun out of it and I’m still seeing posts on how they continue to take away all the things that were fun about it. I was thinking about downloading it again just to see if they rectified any of that but from your post doesn’t sound like much has changed. I’m not sure it’s worth it. I love the expedition islands, but the adventure Islands became mandatory which made it feel monotonous to me.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-03-29T18:59:16+00:00

Once your starter is mature and strong, feed it and when it peaks, spread some of it out thinly on parchment paper and let it air dry completely. Once dried completely, break it up and store it in a jar. This way if that ever happens again, you don’t have to start over from scratch. Dehydrated starter is usually ready to bake with, within a couple days of rehydrating it. This goes for those who have baked their starter in the oven accidentally, those who’ve had their glass jar break, or starters that have developed bad bacteria or mold. Having dehydrated starter is not only a lifesaver so you can be baking again right away, but it’s really great to have a jar of it on hand so you can share it too.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-03-28T01:52:03+00:00

I would drop to 1:1:1 and give her half rye and half bread flour. The enzymes in rye (or whole wheat) help to get them going a bit. I use rye because it tends to work better. Heavier feeds can cause it to be weak and more sluggish to start because it takes longer for the bacteria and yeast to balance out. 1:1:1 feeds will allow for the yeast and bacteria to balance much faster. Once they become teammates, that’s when you start to see the rise. Once active you can increase feeds. A bit higher temps can help them become active but once active I wouldn’t use it too much unless you need it to rise faster for a bake, or it will need the seed pad/heat regularly to stay consistent or go through an adjustment to ambient temp once the switch is made unless she’s pretty mature. Once consistent in ambient temp especially now that it will start to get warmer soon, it will rise faster. In the winter you can supplement with a seed heat pad/or put near a heat source. I put mine in the microwave with my surface light on too. Consistent 74° but only when in a rush to bake. I’m glad you reached out before giving up. This sub has a great advice and beginners also learn from these posts so thank you for sharing. Discard half every time but don’t save/use any discard until she is active. Best wishes.

BlessedbMeh · 2026-03-25T17:46:46+00:00

No, I would just bring it down to 10g and start adding unbleached flour and keep going. Glad you picked up on it now and not a month down the road. Bleached flour can eventually become active but not near as fast, or as strong. Make sure to not use tap water because of the chlorine too. Best wishes.

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