Just got back from a baking class in Portland and the sourdough snobbery was unreal

I took a weekend sourdough workshop at this trendy spot near Powell's Books, and the instructor kept telling people their crumb was wrong if it didn't have giant holes. I've been baking for 6 years, and my sandwich loaf with a tight crumb makes better toast than any artisanal boule. They charged $150 a person and spent 2 hours debating hydration percentages instead of teaching people how to fix a sticky dough. I left feeling like half the class went home discouraged, which is backwards for a hobby that should be fun. Anyone else think the 'perfect crumb' obsession is scaring off new bakers for no reason?

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wright.lisa19d agoMost Upvoted

That class sounds exhausting honestly. When I took a similar one years ago the instructor just let us experiment and bring home whatever we made, even the flat loaves. What actually helped me was ditching the fancy stuff and just baking the same sandwich bread every single weekend until I knew how the dough felt at every stage. Nobody needs to know the science behind starter ratios to make good bread for their family. The whole point is making something you enjoy eating, not impressing strangers on Instagram. Seeing beginners get told their bread is wrong is just gatekeeping and it makes me mad. Keep doing your thing with that tight crumb, better toast wins every time.