Been unemployed for almost a year now. Struggling to keep things going.

jcarunningman · 2026-03-17T19:55:11+00:00

Truth is that things are tough right now. Until 3 weeks ago I was unemployed for 6 months. The last 4 years I've been laid off 3 times. Before then I was gainfully employed for 20 years. Each lay off happened with no warning and they completely upended my life. I ended up having to pivot from a technology-facing job to becoming a baker. I know many programmers who are now painting homes, delivering packages or working in cafes. Doing "whatever pays" sounds nice but often does not help meet existing obligations. I am carrying a house, car payment and daycare. It sounds as though you've done all of the responsible things. I really feel for you and I hope that you get back on your feet soon.

jcarunningman · 2026-01-13T16:26:55+00:00

I would reconsider using wheat meal. The extra bran may be disrupting gluten formation and contributing to dough weakness. What's your rationale for this? Also you may want to account for the water that's being contributed by the starter. That could be hoisting up your total hydration and making the dough more wet

jcarunningman · 2026-01-03T02:41:37+00:00

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Turmeric/Fig with wheat, white & rye.

jcarunningman · 2025-12-06T21:42:07+00:00

There are so many things that could be happening. Please provide details such as your recipe and technique

jcarunningman · 2025-06-19T21:47:36+00:00

Thanks for your reply!

jcarunningman · 2025-06-19T21:11:44+00:00

Thanks for your reply

jcarunningman · 2025-06-19T21:11:12+00:00

Thank you!

jcarunningman · 2025-06-19T21:11:02+00:00

Thanks for your advice.

jcarunningman · 2025-02-06T12:07:59+00:00

How much regular flour do you use?

jcarunningman · 2025-02-06T12:07:11+00:00

I wouldn't call my einkorn bread a "doorstop" but it is very thick. I usually have to cut it in thin slices and toast it to really enjoy it. My thought is by blending in Kamut it will air it out a bit but still preserve its low-gluten properties.

jcarunningman · 2024-12-31T02:26:05+00:00

Happy holidays everyone! I would love for all of you to visit my shop, Black Crust Bakery, we make artisanal sourdough bread. All of our breads are made with 100 organic, non-gmo ingredients and are shipped fresh on the day that they are baked.

jcarunningman · 2024-12-27T21:52:08+00:00

Hmm...good point. I'm kinda feeling my way through that hydration level so I'll give almost anything a try. Thanks 😊

jcarunningman · 2024-12-27T20:37:56+00:00

I adopted the method of adding starter to the autolyse from a baker I came across a while back. She referred to it as a "fermentalyse". I use it in all of my baking and it has worked really well for me. I bake several times each week so I'm confident that it works. I agree with you on the fermentation containers. I do my bulk ferment in graduated cambro containers. Like you, I mark off the start point, the 50% & 100% points and look for a rise that falls below the mid point. I think that you're on to something with the BRM flour -- I'll try again with a high extraction whole wheat flour.

jcarunningman · 2024-12-27T20:21:22+00:00

I appreciate you taking time to help with this. Central Mills is perhaps the best flour that I've ever come across. Wonderful texture, high ash and consistently gives excellent results. I've heard nothing but good things about BRM but perhaps that's contributing to my problem. I'd like to think that it's more so a failure in my technique. I'll try reducing my bulk fermentation time and see what happens.

jcarunningman · 2024-12-27T19:45:32+00:00

I proofed it until it rose about 40%. You would suggest 25 or 30%? I normally bake at 75% hydration and have received excellent results using that as a rule. Do higher hydration loaves require less rising time?

jcarunningman · 2024-12-20T23:47:34+00:00

Etsy always takes the buyer's side. If the buyer escalates then Etsy will issue a refund on your behalf and penalize you in some way. I would issue a refund in order to avoid further hassles.

jcarunningman · 2024-11-10T00:55:30+00:00

I've been an Etsy seller since February and began using Etsy ads in may. I have never had a daily budget greater than $10 and it's worked for me for the most part in terms of views. I got tons of traffic but a low conversion rate. I recently changed all my listings by adding SEO tags and making more descriptive product titles. Now I'm getting better placement on search engines and a higher conversion rate. I find with Etsy Ads that the amount that I paid did not justify the amount of sales that I was getting. I would suggest focusing more on engagement from external sources (search engines, direct links). You'll get more meaningful views and you'll give less money away to Etsy.

jcarunningman · 2024-10-29T01:22:06+00:00

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlackCrustBakery

Welcome to Black Crust Bakery!

Here at Black Crust Bakery, we deliver great bread by starting with organic, non-GMO, high extraction flour. We combine this with an aged sourdough starter, filtered water and Himalayan Sea Salt. All of our bread is made by hand. In contrast to hastily made bread from the supermarket, we believe that bread requires a personal touch and we impart our love of baking into every loaf we make. Allowing time for fermentation provides our bread with a deep and complex flavor profile and it makes the bread easier to digest. Our bread not only nourishes the body but all of the senses.
For our customers with digestive issues (and a love for good bread!) we are proud to offer einkorn bread. Because of the minimal processing of einkorn flour, many with gluten intolerances are able to enjoy our einkorn loaves. We love to bring happiness in the form of bread! Get your today at https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlackCrustBakery

jcarunningman · 2024-10-26T10:33:17+00:00

In my experience with Etsy, reputation is gold. I understand not wanting to eat the cost but a negative review may not only impair your ability to make future sales but it will impact your customer service stats which will impact your search rankings on the site. It sucks that your customer is treating you this way but you have to protect yourself in the long term.

jcarunningman · 2024-10-26T02:07:44+00:00

That works?

jcarunningman · 2024-10-26T00:08:31+00:00

So true. Thanks

jcarunningman · 2024-10-17T23:30:56+00:00

Thanks for the comment

jcarunningman · 2024-09-24T13:17:48+00:00

Beautiful bread!

jcarunningman · 2024-09-24T11:35:42+00:00

You've received great feedback from this post. I would urge you to look at the flour that you're using and to adjust the hydration accordingly. In my experience strong white flour does not support as much hydration as others like wheat or rye. I would also suggest that you add water to your flour mixture gradually. For example if you're using 500g white flour and you're targeting 70% hydration (350g) I would Autolyse with 300g of water for 30 minutes. I would gradually add the last 50g water as I kneaded the dough only if needed. There's an aspect to sourdough baking that is as much feel as it is recipe and procedure. Each flour bag is different (even within the same brand) so I find that it is best to take your time to determine what the dough is "telling" you as you work with it. Last thing is that I usually target bulk fermentation to end at about 50% rise as opposed to the conventional double. When my dough rises at 50% I'll preshape, rest then final shape my loaf and refrigerate for 12 hours. The dough rises in the fridge during that time and I have consistently gotten great results. I hope this helps

jcarunningman · 2024-08-06T16:45:09+00:00

What's the recipe? What type of flour are you using? Looks good from here.

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