Yesterday I pulled Vitale out of the refrigerator covered in hooch after almost three weeks of neglect. Poured off the liquid, kept 30 grams of the dregs, and fed her as a stiff starter: 30 grams starter, 100 grams water, 200 grams flour. Twenty four hours later, she doubled. She even passed the float test. Am I baking with her today? No. I want to see three consistent rises before I trust her in a loaf. That’s the standard. One good rise is encouraging. Three is reliable. But here’s where it gets interesting. Now that she’s responding, I’m running an experiment for anyone whose starter just won’t get going. I split her into two identical jars, same measurements, same flour, same conditions. The only difference: one gets fed with water, the other gets fed with pineapple juice. The pineapple juice trick came up during our live chat last weekend. @Candi Brown-McGriff mentioned it to a member who was struggling to get her starter off the ground. The science is simple. Pineapple juice sits around pH 3.5. That acidity gives your lactobacillus a head start and makes life difficult for the bad bacteria and mold that often stall out a new starter. So we’re going to watch them side by side and see what happens. Starters are resilient. They come back. They want to be alive. Your job is to give them what they need. Stay with me. The results from the two jar comparison are coming next. Perfection is not required. Progress is. ~ Henry ⭐🔥

Saturday we bake. Here’s everything you need. I just dropped a new video walking through the first coil fold, with toasted black sesame seeds going into mine instead of poppy. The same technique applies whether you’re using poppy, sesame, or any other seed. Toast them first, fold them in at the first coil, let the dough do the rest. ▶️ Watch: The First Coil Fold (Plus Why You Toast Your Seeds) https://youtu.be/Zz16BORkOFE?si=p04K3QENO6JlGkRh (replace with your actual YouTube URL once it’s live) A quick rundown of what the video covers: Toasting your seeds turns them from mild and dusty into nutty, sweet, and complex. Low and slow in a dry skillet, two to three minutes, stirring constantly. Cool completely before they go in the dough. The first coil fold is gentle. Wet hands. Lift from the middle, let the bottom unfurl, rotate 90 degrees, repeat. The coil builds structure without popping the bubbles fermentation has already built. Sprinkle the seeds across the top before you fold and they’ll laminate through the dough instead of getting crushed. Bob’s your uncle. Saturday’s Recipes: 🥖 Sourdough version (fermentolyse, 80% hydration): https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/poppy-seed-sourdough-loaf 🥖 Yeasted version (Friday night poolish, Saturday bake): https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/poppy-seed-yeasted-loaf Pick your path. Sourdough or yeasted, poppy or black sesame or split. There’s no wrong answer. The schedule for Saturday: I’ll be in the kitchen and in the thread all day. Post your progress, ask your questions, share your wins and your struggles. This community gets stronger every Saturday because of how you all show up for each other. If you’ve been thinking about jumping in but haven’t yet, this is the bake to start with. Both recipes have full timing guides, troubleshooting FAQs, and step-by-step phases in the Recipe Pantry. The video covers the trickiest part. You’ve got everything you need.