My aunt swore by a 24-hour first rise for sourdough, but my loaves were always dense.

She told me to let it sit overnight in my kitchen in Portland, which is pretty cool. I did that for months, getting bricks. Watched a video from a baker who said a 4 to 6 hour rise at 75 degrees is better for a starter like mine. Tried it, and my next loaf actually had an open crumb. Has anyone else found their proofing time advice was totally wrong for their environment?

2 comments

2 Comments

faitha403d ago

Portland kitchens are cold, but a 24-hour rise is insane. That's not sourdough, that's a science experiment gone wrong. Your starter was probably exhausted and just gave up. That baker's right, temperature is everything. I would have thrown my dough across the room after the third brick.

lucas_carr243d ago

Totally get this... my grandma gave me the same advice for my starter in Seattle. Let it rise all day on the counter, she said. Made nothing but doorstops for weeks. Finally read that a cooler kitchen needs way less time, not more. Cut it back to like five hours and suddenly it worked. Felt like I wasted so much flour before figuring that out.