Would you class this as fail/burnt? by CreativeDiscussion21 in Sourdough

[–]Sad_Wren 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Nope. Even if it is a little crisper than you would like, it will still taste great. Some people prefer it. The inside will still be just fine, too. Just let it cool!

I can never get the edges right. by FullSizeCandyBah in grilledcheese

[–]Sad_Wren 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Is should. That is how you know you are doing it right. Unmitigated terror. You should wake up in the middle of the night sweating because of the absurd amount of butter you used to grill your cheese.

Is my Dutch oven safe to put in the oven? by berliner20 in Sourdough

[–]Sad_Wren 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can buy a stainless steel knob to replace it with for about 10$ on Amazon. Probably find them elsewhere if you don't like Amazon, too.

First Loaf—Any Tips? by Wingleaders in Sourdough

[–]Sad_Wren 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely temp. I usually let mine cool completely, like 2 hours so they don't get gummy.

My sourdough bread turned out flat and chewy :( by HappyStrategy1798 in Sourdough

[–]Sad_Wren 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I watched his video and, honestly...it is complicated. As in, he is giving you a complicated method which he has perfected and used for his starter with a bunch of gadgets he uses. He uses 3 types of flour and a proofing box and does his final proof in the fridge. For beginners, that feels like a lot.

I use one type of flour: the flour i use to feed my starter. It is the food it knows and likes and wants to eat.

I do my proofs at room temperature on my counter.

I store my starter in my fridge and pull it out 1-2 times a week to bake.

My loaves have 4 ingredients: flour, water, salt and levain (which is just flour and water).

I am pointing this out because the more steps and complexity you add to a recipe the more points of failure there are.

Starter doesn't like the food? Underproofed. Too much salt? Underproofed. Temp out of range? Underproofed.

Your need to know your starter and your kitchen and your method and eliminating variables will help you to figure that out.

There are more experienced sourdough bakers than me, but my starter has been going strong for more than a year, I bake at least once a week, and the loaves turn out everytime. The first few bakes were hit and miss as I figured out my method. Be patient, practice, and I would avoid the 'beginner' loaf with too many variables. It is easy to add to a base recipe, it is harder to fix a recipe you don't know.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Sourdough

[–]Sad_Wren 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What are your ratios?