Appreciation post: my grandma's bread proofing rule I ignored for years

My grandma always told me to let the dough double in size and not trust the clock, but I was young and thought I knew better because some blog said 45 minutes was standard. Last January I tried her way on a cold, rainy day in Pittsburgh and the loaves came out with an open crumb I'd never gotten before. She said warm kitchens lie to you and your eyes are better than any timer, which made no sense to me back then. Turns out she was right in a way I couldn't have guessed, because my house's drafty corners make some doughs lag way behind others. Now I stick a small piece of the dough in a glass jar so I can actually watch it double, and I pull it when the jar hits that mark no matter what the clock says. What's a piece of baking advice you fought against and then had to eat your words on?

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the_robin1mo ago

Been there with sourdough, I used to go by time until my starter stalled in winter and I figured out my kitchen was just too cold. Now I put a piece in a shot glass and eyeball it too, works way better than any timer.

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