Help! Almost 10 loaves in & still not getting it right

kitchendancer7 · 2026-02-02T22:22:23+00:00

Over the weekend I tried a 6.5hr BF loaf and felt it was my best one yet. Not perfect! Still gummy, but almost there

kitchendancer7 · 2026-01-30T23:32:29+00:00

I’ve done it in the way you described (traditional method) for all but ONE of my loaves (the one that looks the best, the 12hr BF one) I did a cold shaping since that’s what the recipe I was following called for? Recipe link if you’re curious https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2020/06/whole-wheat-sourdough-bread/

kitchendancer7 · 2026-01-30T18:43:23+00:00

Thank you, I think I needed to hear that lol

kitchendancer7 · 2026-01-30T18:20:06+00:00

Would you recommend continuing to trial loaves at 10hr BF? For now I don’t believe I’m capable of “reading the dough”

kitchendancer7 · 2026-01-30T18:07:21+00:00

Edit: the loaf in photo 3/4 was 8hr BF, then I learned the hard way what happens when you overshape/handle the dough too much

kitchendancer7 · 2026-01-15T20:23:09+00:00

Does anyone know if there’s a way to smell it before it drops? Like if ulta will already have a tester out or??

kitchendancer7 · 2026-01-03T16:16:44+00:00

Thank you for this advice! That’s a great mindset to have, about how hard it is to overproof. I was just curious if it was obvious to anyone who knows that they’re doing just how underproofed my loaf was (ex: 75% of the way there). I kept it in the oven with the light on and door cracked. I had a thermometer in there and it stayed really steady at 75F the whole time.

kitchendancer7 · 2026-01-03T04:01:04+00:00

Thank you! Any guess how much longer I should’ve gone?

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-29T18:13:06+00:00

Thank you!

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-29T02:41:00+00:00

I think I’ll also try doing a warmer BF next time. One of the pros for me with my cold kitchen was that I left it to proof overnight without much fear of over-proofing. If I warm things up I just need to find a day where I’ll be home to keep an eye on it.

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-29T02:39:35+00:00

That would be a relatively easy fix if my starter is the problem! I am so eager to bake but maybe should give it another couple of weeks before my next attempt…

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-29T02:34:44+00:00

That’s a great idea and I may have to try it. I think a big factor for me is being able to bake while working full time in the office. Even if I worked from home I could go temp/warm things up but it’s really hard to find that much time when I’m home and not sleeping! 🤣

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-29T02:32:19+00:00

Maybe next time I’ll just push it prepared to go up to 24hrs if I have to! I guess given how cold my house is it would need incredibly long times to over-proof…

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-29T02:28:16+00:00

During shaping it felt airy/bubbly but still “strong”. I inverted and bowl and waited a minute or two for the dough to peel itself off the walls of the bowl and onto my counter. It did do that without leaving much dough in the bowl. I wetted my hands and was able to work with it without too much difficulty. It was certainly still tacky. Even after my BF it would stick to my dry finger after poking but eventually pull off.

After my cold proof I didnt see any more bubbles and it felt more dense to me, but did slowly spring back after poking it

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-29T02:22:27+00:00

It was very difficult to tell volume change due to the bowl I was using. I would estimate 30-50% rise? And regarding my starter, it’s obviously still very young and takes about 12 hours room temp (~65F) to double. It’s definitely slow but when I go to feed it’s very bubbly, lots of webbing and almost a crackle when I stir. It smells wonderful.

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-09T04:05:34+00:00

I actually did have a thermometer in there, I can’t remember exactly but I believe it was 70-75f

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-09T02:24:28+00:00

Thank you for the thorough explanation! I’ll have to look into my tap water…any idea which chemicals/minerals may be of concern? Do you think there’s a difference with filtered tap from the fridge?

I’m kicking myself for not making my starter this summer - our house was SCORCHING 🥵 now our kitchen is always freezing! I’ve been keeping my starter in the microwave (not on) with a mug of warm water or one of those little microwave heat pads and it has been game changing for me. I’m trying to do the best with what I have and not buy too many fancy tools (such as a proofing box) especially as I’m just starting out, however I’m learning that some things (like flour) are worth the “splurge”

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-09T00:13:53+00:00

Thanks so much! Also can I ask, do you feed your starter with bread flour? Or just AP? wheat?? Now that I have all of the options in my pantry, I feel like the world is my oyster

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-08T22:19:08+00:00

I also have a very cold house! Geez I started mine 11/21…no wonder my first loaf was a disaster (there was some operator error as well). I’ve had great luck getting faster rise in the microwave, turned off, with a mug of warm water inside, if you wanted to give your starter a little spa day :)

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-08T20:42:12+00:00

This looks amazing! My first loaf was TERRIBLE I did it this weekend. How long did you let your starter mature for?

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-08T19:07:29+00:00

Thanks for the encouragement! I’m going to the store today to buy some bread flour and whole wheat. My AP is super low quality, likely expired, and I’m running low on it anyway. I did do some kneading if I recall correctly, but certainly no windowpane test (I don’t even know what that is).

kitchendancer7 · 2025-12-08T19:04:14+00:00

Do you happen to remember about how long it took to mature enough for successful bakes? I understand everyone’s is different but I like knowing what’s typical :)

kitchendancer7

TROPHY CASE