A bakery owner in Toledo told me something that saved my sourdough

I was at a small shop there about a year ago, complaining that my starter was flat. The owner, an older lady, leaned over the counter and said, 'Your water's too cold, kid. It's sleeping.' She told me to use water around 85 degrees, not straight from the tap. I tried it that afternoon and my next loaf rose like a dream. Has anyone else had a simple fix like that just click?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamesroberts8d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, is water temp that big of a deal? My tap water is freezing and my bread turns out fine every time. Maybe some starters are just picky, or people are overthinking it. Feels like one of those tiny details that gets blown way out of proportion online.

ray1368d ago

Yeah it matters more if your kitchen is cold too, freezing water plus a cold room can really slow down the rise.

the_xena8d ago

My starter was a total dud for weeks until I warmed the water to 80 degrees. It's like it woke up overnight. I guess some of them just need that little bit of help.