Rye flop taught me more than my perfect white loaf ever did

I went all in on a 100% rye sourdough last month after hearing everyone rave about it. It came out like a dense hockey puck, barely rose at all, and I almost trashed the whole thing. But I sliced it thin and toasted it, and honestly, the flavor was incredible. I learned that rye doesn't behave like wheat and you need to bake it differently, lower temp and longer time. Has anyone else had a total failure turn into a keeper after you figured out your mistake?

3 comments

3 Comments

barbara_butler26d agoMost Upvoted

Failing at something usually teaches you more than getting it right, just ask @pat_hart.

pat_hart27d ago

Killed my first attempt at sourdough too. Let it sit way too long, turned into a brick. I ended up grinding it into breadcrumbs for meatballs and it was amazing. Learned to watch the dough like a hawk after that.

riley_bell26d ago

Why does everyone think you have to master the perfect loaf before you can mess with the good stuff? That dense rye you made probably had way more complex flavor than any fluffy white bread, it just took a toaster to unlock it. Sometimes the "failures" are actually just the recipe for the next level.

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