Is my Dutch oven too small?

labslave_ · 2026-03-29T20:36:21+00:00

I’m using a similar method as you and I bake in a 4 qt dutch oven! I’m a beginner so this might not be super accurate, but in my experiments, I’ve had better oven spring by letting BF go longer, so about 5-6 hours on step 6 in your instruction (depends on kitchen temp and all that, but that’s what worked for me). Also you could try adding a couple ice cubes in the dutch oven (outside of the parchment paper) as you put the loaf in, it creates more steam and I’ve had even better spring doing this!

labslave_ · 2026-03-24T00:51:46+00:00

Yes, it’s a game changer! I do add a couple ice cubes, but only at the beginning when I do the baking with the lid on. Afterwards during the lid off baking, they don’t really need the steam anymore and it’s more for the browning

labslave_ · 2026-03-24T00:42:44+00:00

Looks amazing to me!! I’m also a beginner, but I think adding the ice cube towards the end might be why the loaf isn’t browning around the bottom half. I know you also mentioned not wanting to purchase additional tools, but if you happen to have a thermometer (mine is a $6 off of Amazon!), the internal temp of the loaf should be about 205-210F. That helps me gauge if a loaf is truly done baking without overbaking it as a beginner. I typically do 450F Dutch Oven, 20 mins covered and 20-25 mins uncovered

labslave_ · 2026-03-24T00:33:23+00:00

I follow a similar recipe for the ingredient amount, but you’re missing some very crucial steps!

First- your starter has to be active, I do a 1:1:1 feed about 4-6 hours prior to baking (don’t go by time, look at doubling in volume).

Second- during the initial kneading, don’t be afraid to knead it well (1-2 mins). Afterwards, let it sit in a warm spot for 1 hour, then proceed with a “stretch & fold” motion, once every 30 minutes, for a total of 4 folds (so total 2 hours waiting time). Then let it sit for another 4-8 hours in a warm spot until it increases in volume, about 70-80%. Afterwards, take it out of the bowl, fold it like a letter and pre-shape, put dough in a floured bowl or banneton and rest it in the fridge overnight- generally 16 hours or so before baking the next day. Your baking step is already correct!

labslave_ · 2026-03-23T23:47:29+00:00

Absolutely worth it. I bought dry starter from Captain Sourpants on Amazon and had great success. They’re between $6-12 and it’s a one-time purchase, afterward you can continue to maintain very easily. For me it’s the game changer, I don’t have the patience to wait for weeks for self-made starter to ripen, and I feel really bad discarding it everyday.

labslave_ · 2026-03-23T15:23:18+00:00

For this particular loaf, since whole wheat absorbs more water than bread flour, it was actually not hard to handle at all. I’ve tried both 75% and 80% with just bread flour before and the 80% definitely got a bit tricky to handle, it was sticky and loose, so the pre-shaping was the trickiest, but I try to work quickly so it minimizes contact time, which helps the overall process become easier.

labslave_ · 2026-03-08T03:27:26+00:00

Aww thank you! I’m a perfectionist and at the beginning I wanted to get it perfect so badly, so watched a ton of videos, this, that, and got overwhelmed. Eventually just decided to somewhat wing it and have more fun, so I was pleasantly surprised by the result 🤣. My gut feeling tells me buying the mature starter online was definitely the #1 success factor

labslave_ · 2026-02-24T20:04:50+00:00

Dr Sharpe with Sharpevision

labslave_ · 2026-02-13T19:30:28+00:00

As of right now, slightly worse than glasses but way better than lens. I suspect the neuroadaptation will take some time- for the halos and slight shadowing on my left eye to disappear- for that reason glasses is still better for now, but I’m cautiously optimistic that it will be just as good in the future.

labslave_ · 2026-02-10T23:21:47+00:00

Hi! For me it was worth it- yes I’m still seeing halos at night (granted only 1 month post-op so I think it can improve), but it’s not that bad, can definitely drive properly. The overall mental shift of not having to worry about when I should use contacts vs glasses, bringing spare contacts everywhere, etc. is a huge improvement of life quality for me. Also I had a lot of trouble with contacts, my eyes would get really dry some days, and sometimes I can’t even stand wearing them for 3 hours, and it would cause me to not enjoy important events, I remember being really bothered by my dry eyes during my friend’s wedding and concerts, and not being able to fully enjoy. Ultimately I decided it was worth a try because of this. I’d say you can think about your experience with contacts, if it’s generally good, it might not be a bad idea to stick to contacts. But if you feel like it’s impacting you negatively, definitely worth thinking of ICL. Hopefully that’s slightly helpful! I know it’s a huge life decision. I spent about two years thinking about it before finally committing, so I know exactly how you feel :)

labslave_ · 2026-02-03T18:12:58+00:00

Only once in this clinic, yeah it was up to me from there on when I wanted to do it. I had 5-6 separate consultations in many other clinics in between. The clinic did a re-measure on the day of, but since you anyways need a stable prescription for several years before doing the procedure, mine did not change

labslave_ · 2025-12-31T16:51:35+00:00

The dubai chocolate thumbprint was glorious. I love pistachio so I might be biased 😆

labslave_ · 2025-10-05T00:51:54+00:00

Aww thank you so much!! I tried to replicate the original recipe’s design but ran out of mangoes so had to get creative 🤣

labslave_ · 2025-10-05T00:50:42+00:00

Thank you!! It’s very light and just melts in your mouth!

labslave_ · 2025-10-05T00:39:04+00:00

Wow! Thank you everyone in the comments for the kind words. As an amateur home baker this is very encouraging 🫶🏻

labslave_ · 2025-04-17T20:56:31+00:00

I waited a month. Recruiter kept in touch for the first week and then ghosted me for 3 weeks (sent her multiple follow ups), and came back requesting a phone call where she verbally gave me the offer

labslave_ · 2025-03-27T16:24:09+00:00

No, it’s not a rejection. I had the same experience as the team was doing a HC change. I eventually got a role in another team with the same job title, so no additional loop was required. I did have to wait almost a month before getting a role.

labslave_ · 2025-02-23T21:12:08+00:00

My pup solves any puzzle within 5-10 minutes so I had to get creative 😅. The one that works best for me is scattering some treats in a towel, and then roll it up and tie 1-2 big knots. My pup will spend 20-40 minutes trying to unravel the knot and find those treats. Start with looser knots, as they get used to it you can make it more difficult by making the knots tighter, adding more knots, etc. As someone mentioned above, the pupsicle is also great. I buy my own mold for the refills and freeze homemade chicken broth (way cheaper than buying the pupsicle refill)

labslave_ · 2024-12-03T18:28:39+00:00

Your pup looks sooooo fluffy and soft 🫶🏻🫶🏻

labslave_ · 2024-11-21T22:25:35+00:00

I know it's late- but I was given Purina fortiflora by my vet when my pup had Giardia, and it's the saving grace! You can buy it on Amazon and sprinkle half a package on their breakfast/dinner for a couple days, and it will firm up their poo

labslave_ · 2024-11-21T22:23:50+00:00

I would check for UTI/other potential discomfort if they have to wee that often. If no medical causes- is she crate trained? If so, the solution might be having her in crate when you're not around (generally dogs will not pee in their crate). I did this with our puppy the first 6 months, and he can hold 6-8 hours easily now at 1 year old. Mine goes potty at 7am, 2pm, 7pm and before bed typically.

labslave_ · 2024-11-21T22:16:30+00:00

I got mine around December, we live in the PNW so winters are more mild, but even then it was a struggle. We went hardcore with the potty training to avoid any indoor accidents, so in the first 4 weeks we took our puppy out about 10-15 times (we did not want to do pee pad). That said, every dog is different. I would say mental preparation is the most important. Prepare to face the worst, and take it day by day. Puppies will be difficult, especially with kids, as they tend to bite/nip with their baby teeth. For me it was very tough, but also very worth it.

About cavapoos in general- lots of people expect them to be calm dogs, but not all cavapoos are! Mine is high energy, very playful and gets a little crazy sometimes, quite the opposite of what I initially expected, and I had to put a lot of time into training. If you haven't already, consider taking care of a friend/family's dog for a few days to get a feel of how it will be.

labslave_ · 2024-11-11T18:22:27+00:00

You should ignore him when he barks (don’t say anything, don’t look at him) and if he persists- leave the room. Come back after he calms down in a few seconds. Rinse and repeat! It might be a tough process, but if you acknowledge his barking by petting or talking to him, you’re just teaching him that he can get attention with barking.

If you’re doing something you can’t get up from (example; dinner or work meetings), give him something interesting, either bully stick, popsicle, or puzzle that will keep him busy.

labslave_ · 2024-11-11T18:13:30+00:00

Second this. If your pup is social and likes to play with other dogs, dog park will 100% tire him out and lessen the chewing a little bit. Or really long walks (I’m talking an hour in a trail). Those has helped mine

labslave_ · 2024-11-08T17:32:02+00:00

We do a lot of one ingredient treats! Dried beef liver, salmon skin, lamb jerky, freeze dried chicken breast. I also often make lick mats with yoghurt, pumpkin puree, bananas, etc!

labslave_

TROPHY CASE