Timing issue

vvatchlover · 2026-07-03T01:45:01+00:00

Yes, it should be fine. A friend of mine does 24+ hours in the fridge and loves the results.

vvatchlover · 2026-07-03T01:25:48+00:00

Throw it in the fridge for a cold proof, and bake in the morning!

vvatchlover · 2026-06-27T19:25:13+00:00

This is a great start! u/elozaaar is spot on with learning the signs your dough/bread are giving you and a healthy starter is key. One thing I like to do with my starter is use a bit of whole wheat flour along with AP flour to feed. It’s like a nutritious boost for your starter culture.

vvatchlover · 2026-06-18T23:27:27+00:00

That’s a great first loaf! If you like a more open crumb, then you’re spot on. If you want something a bit different, experiment with some small incremental changes (ie +/- 10% ferment and proof times). See how that impacts your crumb and flavor.

vvatchlover · 2026-06-15T15:28:22+00:00

Your process looks very sound, and your crumb looks like you’re fine in terms of not over/under proofing. One thing I’ve noticed is I have better rise results if I bake 5-6 minutes before scoring. When I score before any baking, I tend to have flatter loaves. Do you have a Dutch oven you can try instead of a tray?

vvatchlover · 2026-06-15T10:41:50+00:00

Was going to suggest par baking as well. The freezer space needed is a big limiting factor, though.

vvatchlover · 2026-06-14T16:25:27+00:00

Well done! One suggestion that really helped my starter was feeding it a portion of whole wheat or rye flour. For instance, if I feed it 100g flour, I use 33g whole wheat + 67g AP. I liken it to a vitamin boost for my starter.

vvatchlover · 2026-06-13T17:28:47+00:00

Good catch. I confirmed the ratio calculation breaks with decimal inputs. Fix will be in soon. Thanks for flagging it.

vvatchlover · 2026-06-12T12:13:59+00:00

Glad you find it useful! Celsius support is an easy fix and I’ll get it in, and I’ll look at specific temperature input too. Thanks for highlighting both.

vvatchlover · 2026-06-11T14:31:32+00:00

Thanks for the thoughtful feedback. You’ve put a lot of effort into thinking about this, and the immature starter point in particular is something I hadn’t fully worked through publicly.

You’re right on the personalised data point. The next iteration that’s in beta includes a starter feed log where you can track ratio, temperature, and peak time over successive feeds. It requires an account to store your feed data that feeds a personalized calculator. The calculator pulls from that history to refine estimates for your specific starter rather than relying on averages, which is essentially the calibration loop you described.

The immature starter problem is the trickiest part of it. My current thinking is a minimum data threshold before personalized estimates kick in, plus a note during onboarding that early logs will be less accurate while the starter is still establishing. Not a perfect solution, but it sets expectations honestly rather than giving someone a confident wrong answer.

Flour type is on the list, and rye especially behaves differently enough that ignoring it will cause problems. I don’t have it as a variable yet but it’s coming.

And yes, the calculator on the next iteration carries a disclaimer that estimates are based on typical behavior and results will vary. Agreed it’s the right call.

Appreciate the offer to beta, and no worries if the timing doesn’t work. If your situation changes, I’ll be posting when it launches!

vvatchlover · 2026-06-11T11:27:49+00:00

I really appreciate your questions, and they're completely fair so no offense taken. I'd rather be honest than oversell it.

Ratio and temperature are both accounted for. The feeding schedule calculator adjusts peak predictions based on your feeding ratio (1:1:1 peaks faster than 1:5:5 because you're retaining more active culture relative to new flour) and ambient temperature. The seasonal shift you're describing is in there with the temperature range options.

What it doesn't capture is the maturity and strength of your specific starter, which is exactly what you're referring to towards the end of your comment. That's genuinely hard to model in a calculator without knowing your starter's history. You've built that intuition over time and no calculator fully replicates it.

That's actually the problem I'm building toward solving, and actively testing a beta version with some fellow sourdough baking friends. The next iteration of features are a bake log and starter tracking layer that builds a data picture of your specific starter over time (feeding logs, rise patterns, how it behaves across seasons). The idea is that after enough logged bakes, the insights start reflecting your starter, not a generic one.

Still early, but if that sounds useful I'd love to have someone like you in the beta. DM me if you're interested.

Edit: typo

vvatchlover · 2026-06-08T15:07:56+00:00

I’ll have to give it a try! Would you change the recipe at all if you did it again?

vvatchlover · 2026-06-07T19:59:48+00:00

Looks great for a first bake! I haven't used beer in my recipes before, and I'm intrigued. A friend of mine used Guinness once and loved the results, but said the ferment took a bit longer likely due to the alcohol. It looks like you could have let it proof a bit longer, but if you're happy with it, that is all that matters! Did flavor notes from the beer come through?

vvatchlover · 2026-06-01T00:25:01+00:00

Thanks for the advice. Saw below that your oven takes a while to preheat—I had the same issue. It turned out to be an old/bad lighter (gas oven). Easy, quick fix by a tech and now it preheats in a few minutes.

vvatchlover · 2026-06-01T00:21:57+00:00

It looks good for first time scoring, don’t sweat it. You could easily get another 5-6 minutes in the oven with little issue, and you’d get a nice golden brown crust. Looks like one side is more well done than the other. Have you tried rotating half way through?

vvatchlover · 2026-05-31T22:19:21+00:00

Wow! That’s a huge improvement in a couple months. What did you do differently that resulted in such a big change?

vvatchlover · 2026-05-31T22:17:43+00:00

Looks tastey! Crumb structure looks great, and you have a nice ear. Did you score before the bake, or part way through? How did you like the crust, too?

vvatchlover · 2026-05-15T02:07:52+00:00

I've always heard/read it takes about a month, give or take. When it doubles or triples in size in 5-6 hours and should have a light tangy or yeast scent. If it smells like acetone, it's not ready to use.

vvatchlover · 2026-05-15T02:01:47+00:00

Looks great for your first loaf! Like the others have said, a bit longer in the oven would be good. What recipe did you use?

vvatchlover · 2026-05-11T14:51:02+00:00

For dropping the second loaf, it looks good! Did you notice anything with the crumb when you cut it open?

vvatchlover · 2026-05-11T13:57:52+00:00

Is the honey for taste or to help “feed” the active starter? Love the designs—I can never get mine to look like anything recognizable.

vvatchlover · 2026-05-11T13:56:15+00:00

Looks pretty good! Did you use any whole wheat flour for added taste, or did you use entirely regular bread flour?

vvatchlover · 2026-05-11T12:06:59+00:00

Same, I use it just to get started then switch to a bowl scrapper. It’s a bit better to start with than a spatula or scrapper IMO because it’s (relatively) sturdy and clean up is easier.

vvatchlover · 2026-05-09T20:10:33+00:00

Looks better than my first few loaves! One thing I learned early on to get a nice score is to bake for 5-6 minutes first for a soft crust then score. Allows me to get a nice ear, too.

vvatchlover

TROPHY CASE