In light of next month approaching (starter building month) I wanted to give some clarity concerning its peak! You always hear it mentioned that you should wait until your starter is at peak to start your loaf... but what exactly is peak? Picture this: it's starter feeding time. You feed it and low key stare at it every few minutes 🫣🤣 What do you notice? Is the top of it domed as it's rising? That's what you're looking for! If it's domed, it's still rising! So when does it reach peak? You'll see that dome start to flatten out... When you notice that, peak has been reached and it's about to start falling down!

we made bread using sour cream

I figured since this month is about hydration experiments I'd talk about something I see so often on social media concerning high hydration loaves. Even I fell victim to it in the past... Here's a fact, you're going to see me handle any dough with confidence... even if confidence is far from me😅 Confidence!! I'm not just talking about a mental assuredy that you can do it, I'm talking about confidence in motion. When your mixing, stretching, and/or shaping, the stickiness makes you pull away and possibly regret your decision lol. But what your high hydration dough needs is swift, confident motions - and wet hands so it doesn't stick to you as much🤪 You dominate your dough, you're in charge! It WILL come together as the gluten develops. The Rubaud method is a great mixing method for this! Slap and folds? Man they're so fun with high hydration 🤣 but can get a little messy. Shaping? Lightly flour the your shaping surface and you'll be just fine! Don't hesitate to touch it! Don't be afraid of it lol. Dominate your dough!💪🏼 Tell us about a time you felt not so confident with your dough💬🍞

Let's chat about starters💬🫧 On a scale of 1–10, how confident are you with understanding your starter? What still confuses you? What makes you feel most unsure? And on another note, What drives you nuts about starter advice online? What makes you roll your eyes? What advice feels overly complicated? What phrase about starter makes you cringe? You don't have to answer all the questions, just one's you relate to at the moment!

Real question today! If you close your eyes and think of “home,” what flavor shows up first? Not the Pinterest-perfect meal or the recipe you impress people with. I’m talking about the simple, ordinary taste that instantly makes your shoulders drop😌 The soup you ate when you were sick. The bread that lived on the counter growing up. The dessert that always showed up at holidays without fail. Flavor has a funny way of holding memories, doesn’t it? One bite can take you back years. One smell can feel like a hug you didn’t know you needed. That’s part of why I love baking so much. We’re not just mixing flour and water... We’re carrying little pieces of “home” into the future. So I want to hear yours today! What flavor feels like home to you? No wrong answers, just memories. It could be a specific sourdough bread flavor or a meal! Tell me below 💬