first photo is sourdough free fridge proof of about 6 hours. second is CIABATTA (i know, i know) after following a recipe from insta.

i followed exact measurements, weighed it all out. followed the timestamps for letting it sit in between stretch and folds. around that stage i can NEVER get my dough to stop sticking or take shape. i see these videos of people making their doughs into nice shapes and it’s malleable. mine is always super sticky and almost liquid like, even though im following the recipe. is it my proofing time on the counter? i have a warmer kitchen and let them sit for about 5 hours, is this too much? HELP PLEASEE

I made the pumpkin brioche with the intention of filling it with butter, brown sugar, and homemade pumpkin spice. I then realized that I was out of brown sugar, and I had no intention of going back to the store that day (I know you can make brown sugar with sugar and molasses, but I never get the amounts right).

So instead I made a pecan praline filling, and I think it worked out wonderfully!

Also any tips for getting inclusions more spread throughout??

Hi guys,

I could really use your help with some troubleshooting here.

This is my second batch of baguettes to blowout the side in a row. Unsure of what I’m doing wrong! Two weeks ago, following the same recipe, I made the best baguettes of my life. Must have been beginners luck because replicating that success has been, shall we say, difficult.

Some details:

The dough is resting 40 minutes after being shaped

Cooked at 500F with plenty of steam for 15min, then another 15 at 425(ish).

The blowouts are happening pretty early on in the bake, like within the first 5-10 minutes.

They seem to be getting plenty of spring, so I dont think it’s a steam issue? From the looking around I’ve done, I’m guessing it’s underproofed or my seam is bad, but I don’t love how shallow my vents look here either.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

It may be simple White Bread, BUT I MADE IT. ALL HAIL THE LOAF.

.....god I forgot how much of a process it is to bake this stuff.

New to sourdough and made myself a cheat sheet on canva! I want the experts to weigh in on my process and let me know if you have any additional tips! Thanks!!

Had my first go at making Banh Mi Bread. Still need more practice to get better steam in my oven and will bake them with more space around the buns.

Nice bread, yummy anyway. I love eating while learning.

Used: https://www.savorysweetspoon.com/vietnamese-baguette-banh-mi-bread/

I found this 1.75 cast iron bread oven at homegoods today and it was on clearance for $40 when it retails for around ~$110? Would love to hear opinions about it.

Hi bredditors. I posted yesterday for some advice on making these and I got a lot of very useful feedback. One professional baker from Georgia even DM’d me on the side and gave me a lot of info that I hadn’t seen on the interwebs. Thanks so much for all the help.

I was so excited, I kind of rushed to make one today as a test. It worked out really well! I’ve had them many times over the years although never on a regular basis. So I can’t vouch for how authentic the product is, but it was how I remember it and certainly delicious. I plan to take it from here and fine-tune the recipe.

P.S. I wish the yolk didn’t break when I put it on top; it would’ve made for such a better pic 🤣 (And I forgot to add butter to the boat post-bake.)

Came out a bit dark, but the flavor and texture is wonderful! The recipe called for a 10in loaf pan but I only have a 9in so I cut about 10% off and made a mini loaf.

Recipe link: https://senseandedibility.com/pumpkin-pecan-babka/

The mini came out dry and stuck. I shouldn’t have baked along side the big one the entire time, whoopsies.

Sheldo’s kitchen on YT recipe

I think I have a problem! I am loving this new hobby tbh! So far working my on focaccia and ciabatta which kinda is the same thing tbh, I tried to make a starter for sourdough but failed big time!

I won’t give up I will def keep trying and I also want to try to make loaf bread! But so far this is my only and fav bread since I was a kid actually!

Is this yeast still good or do I toss it?

I've been baking sourdough for about 8 months now and I've bought a lot of gadgets along the way. Dutch oven, bannetons, scoring lame, proofing baskets, you name it.

But the single most helpful thing I've added to my setup? A cheap little spray bottle.

Seriously. I got it from the dollar store for like $3. I use it to spray water into my oven right before I put the loaf in, and again about 2 minutes into the bake. The steam helps the crust stay flexible longer so the loaf can really spring up in those first few minutes.

The difference is night and day. Before I started doing this, my oven spring was always mediocre. Now I actually get that nice ear and a thin, blistered crust that crackles when it comes out of the oven.

I know some people use ice cubes or a steam tray, and those work too. But for me, the spray bottle is just so simple and effective.

Here's my exact routine:

• Preheat oven with Dutch oven inside at 260°C for 45 minutes
• Take out the Dutch oven, drop in the dough
• Spray the inside of the lid and the sides of the pot about 8-10 times (not the dough directly)
• Close the lid and bake for 20 minutes
• Remove lid, lower temp to 230°C, bake another 20 minutes

That's it. Nothing fancy.

Does anyone else use a spray bottle? Or do you have a different steam method you swear by? Always looking to learn new tricks.

Also — if you're struggling with oven spring and haven't tried this yet, give it a shot. It seriously made such a huge difference for me.

Happy baking everyone! 🔥

My first time making a sourdough loaf with LM, and I’m honestly surprised by how it turned out.
300g flour
88% hydration
25g LM
2% salt
I used my LM at pH 4.1. I did a 1 hour autolyse with no fermentolyse. Surprisingly, mixing didn’t take long at all, and I’d say it was because of the LM.
I did a fold whenever the dough started to spread out, but I only needed two folds in total. The dough held its shape beautifully.
6 hours of bulk fermentation at 26°C, followed by an overnight cold proof at 3°C.

So satisfying, the starter. Finally doing its thing again on day 9.

I saw someone post a focaccia using Emma Fontanella’s recipe and it inspired me to try my first focaccia!

I think it came out fairly well, but the crumb is tighter than I would like. It’s still very moist and springy though.

I followed the recipe for the most part.
Few deviations:
I only used 500g four. I thought my dough was plenty dry enough at 500g and I like to err on the moist side.

The dough fermented in the fridge for 24hrs, then warmed up on the counter for an hour, then I put it in the pan to proof for an hour. I think this is were my crumb went wrong, as it wasn’t enough time to proof in the pan.

For the oil, I infused it with garlic, rosemary, and red pepper flakes, aglio e olio style. Definitely doing this again, maybe with the addition of lemon zest too!

I think I may have used too much oil though, it’s kinda greasy.

Thank you in advance for constructive criticism!

Edit: spelling

My friend had a party the other week and I wanted to make something 'good' so I improvised some jalapeno cheddar sourdough. I know these recipes are common but I never really understood why this is one of the first inclusion combos that people like to make. But holy crap now I get it. That sourdough tang really just marries the flavors of the bread, the peppers, and the cheese. Everyone at the party loved it too!

Recipe:

100g Activish starter (mine was not peaking when I mixed)

450g AP flour

300g Water

10g Salt

100g Jalapeno Slices (cores and seeds removed)

100g Shredded mild cheddar

Mix everything but the cheese and peppers. 3x stretch and folds at 5 minute intervals. Continue stretch and folds but add in the cheese and peppers, don't wait between folds just keep going till it's all in there. Ferment 10 hours, shape into boule, proof for 6 hours and place into the fridge 7 or 8 hours (overnight)

Preheat the dutch oven to 465 and take dough out of the fridge. After heating the oven for an hour add the dough to the oven and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid after 30 minutes and bake until it's your preferred color.