c/bakers

A customer in Seattle told me my sourdough was 'too sour' and it made me rethink my starter

Honestly, I was kind of proud of how tangy my loaves were. I'd been feeding my starter once a day and baking with it right at its peak for years. Then this regular at the farmer's market, a nice older lady, said she loved the crust but the crumb was just too acidic for her sandwiches. She said it was like 'eating a loaf of vinegar.' That hit me hard. I started experimenting and found if I feed my starter twice a day for three days before a bake, and use it when it's just barely domed, not fallen, the flavor is way more mellow and complex, less one-note sour. It was a simple change but it totally shifted my approach from chasing maximum sourness to balancing flavor. Has anyone else had a piece of feedback that completely flipped a technique you thought was solid?

My uncle swore by using a full cup of sugar in his pie crust, but it always burned for me.

I cut it to a quarter cup like my boss at the Portland bakery suggested, and the crust is perfect now. Anyone have a better sweet crust recipe that doesn't scorch?

Question about using cold butter for pie crust

I tried making a pie crust with frozen butter cubes instead of my usual chilled sticks. The dough came out super flaky, way better than before. My friend in Chicago said it's because the butter melts slower in the oven. I learned that smaller, colder bits make more steam pockets. Anyone else have a trick for keeping butter cold while you work?

Tbh, I just wasted $75 on a 'professional' bread lame that's basically a toothpick on a stick

Slower proofing made my bread way better

I used to rush my bread proofing all the time. Now I let it sit in a cooler place for hours. The texture got so much softer and the flavor deepened. It's a simple shift but it made all the difference. I'm never going back to my old ways.

I swore by my dough hook for everything. Then my bread got too dense.

Always let the machine do the kneading to save time. Tried mixing a simple white loaf by hand last week. The rise was faster and the crumb was lighter. Now I start every batch with a few minutes of hand work. It's a small step that makes a big difference.

Rant: My macarons were hollow until I tried this one trick

I mean, my macarons kept turning out hollow, which was really frustrating. Idk, I adjusted the oven heat and mixed the batter differently, but it didn't help. Maybe it's just me, but I read online that letting the piped batter rest is important. So I left the trays out for a bit to form a skin before baking. The next batch came out full and chewy, no more hollow centers. Now I never skip that rest time. Has anyone else faced this? What other macaron tips do you have?

So I tried to DIY a flour storage system and it's a mess lmao

I saw this idea online for a pull-out flour bin in my pantry. Got all the parts, started installing, and now flour is everywhere because I misaligned the hinges. My cat thinks it's a new playground, and I have to bake cookies covered in white dust. Lesson learned: measure twice, cut once, or just buy a container.

I spent five years in a chain bakery, but my new job at a local place has a way better boss.