c/bakers

I was a total snob about frozen fruit, until I tried it in laminated dough

Honestly, I always thought using frozen fruit in baking was a shortcut for people who didn't care about quality. I'd go out of my way to get fresh berries from the farmers market for my danishes and turnovers. But last month, during a big batch order at my shop in Portland, I ran out of fresh raspberries mid-mix. Grocery store frozen bag was all I had, so I tossed them in the rough puff straight from the freezer without thawing. The result was way better than I expected. The raspberries held their shape so much better in the folds, and they didn't bleed into the dough like fresh ones do. Honestly, I might switch to frozen for certain things now. Has anyone else had a change of heart about a baking ingredient they used to hate on?

3 comments

thomasshah•2d ago

My sourdough starter took 14 days to double, then I switched tap water for filtered

I kept thinking my starter was dead or my kitchen was too cold, but after a month of nada I finally tested bottled water. Turns out our town's chlorine levels were killing the yeast. Has anyone else hit this wall with local tap water?

2 comments

king.wyatt•3d ago

Heads up: That new gluten-free flour blend at the co-op is tricking everyone

I stopped by the bulk section at the Franklin Co-op yesterday and watched three people scoop from the wrong bin because the labels are nearly identical. Has anyone else almost grabbed the wrong flour there?

2 comments

finleyh89•3d ago

Last Wednesday was my best baking day in 8 years

I had this one day last week where everything just clicked. Three batches of sourdough came out with perfect oven spring, my croissants had that honeycomb crumb, and I even nailed a brioche I've been struggling with for months. Got 12 loaves done by 10 AM instead of my usual 2 PM finish. The funniest part was my oven temp was 15 degrees off the whole time, I just happened to adjust it right. What's your closest call where a mistake turned into a win?

3 comments

dianal94•3d ago

Spent $80 on a fancy digital scale for bread baking that has a stupid auto-off feature that kills me every time

You guys ever have one of those kitchen scales that shuts off mid-measure when you're adding flour because it thinks you're done, totally threw off my hydration ratio on a batch of sourdough and ruined the whole thing, anyone found a scale that just stays on?

2 comments

hunt.quinn•5d ago

Sourdough starter from Portland versus commercial yeast - which actually rises better?

I was up in Portland last month visiting a friend who runs a bakery, and he swore his 10-year-old starter made everything fluffier than any packet yeast could. But I've been using instant yeast for years and my sandwich loaves come out perfect every time, no fuss. He said the tang and texture from natural fermentation is worth the extra feedings, but I'm not convinced it's practical for a home baker with a 9-to-5. What do you all think - is the extra work for a starter actually worth it, or am I missing something?

3 comments

the_matthew•5d ago

My starter died after I left it out in a cold snap last month

Everyone says room temp is fine for storing starter but my kitchen dropped to like 55 degrees overnight and it was totally dead by morning. I had to start over from scratch using some dried flakes a friend sent me from Portland. Anybody else lost a starter to unexpected cold?

2 comments

avery_lopez•6d ago

Finally got my sourdough starter to double in under 8 hours

After three months of feeding this thing every morning, it finally hit that 2x rise mark yesterday afternoon. Has anyone else had a starter that took forever to get going, or did I just mess up the flour ratio for the first 10 weeks?

2 comments

nguyen.tara•6d ago

Ditched my stand mixer after 8 years of loyalty

Last week I was at a bakery in Portland and watched the owner mix a 50lb batch of dough by hand. She said the machine was overworking the gluten. Tried it myself with my weekly sourdough. Way better crumb and way less cleanup. Anybody else go back to basics like this?

2 comments

joseph_torres•7d ago

After three failed sourdough loaves, I finally tried the ice cube steam trick and got a perfect crust

I was ready to give up on baking bread until I threw a few ice cubes in a preheated pan under my Dutch oven and ended up with the best ear I've ever gotten - has anyone else had that work way better than spraying water?

3 comments

gavin_hill27•8d ago

I was totally wrong about using expired yeast for sourdough starter

About 4 months ago I tried feeding my starter with a packet of yeast that was 2 months past the best-by date. I figured it would be a total dud and I'd have to toss everything. To my surprise the starter actually took off faster than with fresh yeast, and the bread had this deeper tangy flavor. Has anyone else experimented with expired yeast or am I just getting lucky here?

3 comments

holly_walker76•10d ago

Spent $60 on a silicone bread lame and it was a game changer for my scoring

I used to use a razor blade on a chopstick for months but this cheap lame from Amazon finally gave me consistent ear lifts and clean cuts on my sourdough, has anyone else had better luck with a specific brand that doesn't cost like $50?

2 comments

caleb_ross12•10d ago

Had to pick between a $20 oven thermometer and guessing

My oven runs hot, I knew that, but I kept relying on my gut and burning cookies. Finally spent the $15 on a basic Taylor thermometer at the restaurant supply store, and my first batch of sourdough came out perfect, not dark on the bottom. Anybody else put off getting a simple tool and regret it?

2 comments

terry_jones•13d ago

My first batch of sourdough actually worked this morning

My neighbor Ruth told me to stop fighting the starter and just feed it on a schedule. Has anyone else found that simple routine change made the biggest difference?

3 comments

paige86•14d ago

Switched to a damp proofing bag for my sourdough starter and saw a huge difference in 3 days

I kept fighting with a dry crust on top of my starter even with a tight lid, so I tried using a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag instead of just a cloth cover. After 3 days in my San Francisco kitchen, the starter was bubbling way more consistently and smelled sweeter without that dry layer. Has anyone else tried a different humidity trick that changed their starter maintenance?

2 comments

jessica_ross38•14d ago

Had to pick between a cheap KitchenAid clone or saving up for the real thing, chose the clone and regretted it after 3 batches of bread dough

The motor started smoking on my second sourdough loaf, so now I'm out $180 and stuck with a useless hunk of plastic until I can afford the real mixer, anyone else make the same mistake?

2 comments

jessica_ross38•17d ago

Tried a tangzhong starter in my cinnamon rolls on a whim

I threw some flour and milk together as a paste before adding it to my dough last Sunday, and the rolls stayed soft for 3 days instead of going stale by the next morning. Never bothered with that extra step before, but now I'm wondering if it works for other enriched doughs too. Has anyone tried this with brioche or challah?

3 comments

ray_miller41•18d ago

Is it just me or does sourdough starter care take over your whole kitchen?

I started my first starter back in March after a friend gave me some of her discard. Three months in and I've got two jars going, a heating pad, and a scale that lives on the counter now. My wife says I've turned the kitchen into a science lab. But here's the thing - my first few loaves were dense bricks, and now I'm getting decent oven spring. Someone on a baking forum told me to stop overthinking the feeding schedule and just go by smell and bubbles. That changed things for me. Still, I wonder if I'm making this harder than it needs to be. Has anyone else had their starter routine take over their counter space?

2 comments

brown.gavin•1mo ago

My grandma's sponge cake recipe still beats any new method I've tried.

Pulled out her handwritten card last Sunday after a decade of using modern techniques, and the texture was just perfect. Anyone else find themselves going back to old family recipes more often now?

2 comments

henderson.wesley•1mo ago

My grandma called my sourdough 'too much work' and it kinda stung

She was visiting last weekend and watched me do my whole feeding routine, then said 'you know wonderbread is 3 bucks and tastes just fine.' It hit different because she used to bake everything from scratch, but I guess she was telling me not to overcomplicate things for myself. Has anyone else gotten roasted by a family member about how much effort you put into baking?

3 comments

kaid59•1mo ago

Had to choose between a $300 mixer and a used one off Facebook

My old KitchenAid finally gave out after 10 years. I was dead set on buying a new one for $300 at the store. But a buddy said check Facebook Marketplace, so I did. Found a 5-quart model from 2018 for $60, looked clean and ran smooth. Took a chance on it and baked three batches of sourdough this week, no issues. The old owner even threw in a dough hook I didn't have. Anyone else go used and regret it or love it?

3 comments

phoenix_thompson4•1mo ago

Question about whether we're too precious with ingredients

I got into it with a friend last week who runs a bakery downtown, and she said something that's been bugging me. She told me I'm too hung up on using fancy butter and imported vanilla for everything, and that customers mostly just want something that tastes good and looks okay. I thought she was wrong at first, but then I remembered a batch of chocolate chip cookies I made with cheap margarine and imitation extract that sold out in two hours at a bake sale. Maybe I've been overthinking it all these years, putting too much pressure on myself to use the best stuff every time. But then again, I feel like there's a difference between a quick sale and building a reputation. Has anyone else had a moment where they realized their standards might be out of step with what customers actually care about?

3 comments

the_cameron•1mo ago

It took me 6 years of baking to realize I was over-kneading my dough.

My neighbor's 70 year old sourdough had a better crumb than any loaf I’d ever made, and when I asked her secret, she just laughed and said I was fighting the gluten instead of letting it relax.

3 comments

the_charlie•1mo ago

Learned sourdough timing the hard way at a farmer's market

Set up at the Portland Saturday Market last month. Had 40 loaves proofed and ready to bake at 5 AM. Then my starter decided to take a nap. Lost about 15 loaves to overproofing before I figured out the overnight temp drop messed with my schedule. Anyone else have a starter go lazy on you at the worst possible moment?

3 comments

henrycooper•1mo ago

Realized my sourdough starter was way too cold for 6 months

I never understood why my bread came out flat and dense every time. Kept it on my kitchen counter in winter, around 60 degrees. Then my buddy who bakes at a shop in Portland told me starters need to be at 75-80 to really thrive. Threw a heating pad under it and bam, first loaf had actual oven spring. Anyone else keep theirs too cold without realizing? How do you manage temp?

3 comments