My uncle's sourdough ratio changed my baking completely

My uncle who's been baking bread since the 80s told me last spring that I was using way too much starter in my sourdough. He said drop it from 100g to 50g for my standard loaf and give it a full 12 hours to rise instead of rushing it in 4. I thought he was nuts because my loaves were already coming out okay, not great but edible. Tried his way on a Sunday in April and the crumb was totally different, more open and the crust had that deep tang I could never get before. I have to admit he was right about slowing down and trusting the fermentation more than dumping in extra starter. Has anyone else gotten advice from a older relative that seemed backwards but turned out to work better?

2 comments

2 Comments

nora_park7d ago

Wait, only 50g of starter for a whole loaf? That sounds crazy but amazing it worked!

mila_campbell257d ago

Funny you mention it, I actually just read about how sourdough was originally made way back when with way less starter than we use today. They'd mix just a tiny bit of old dough into a huge batch and let it ferment for days. That slow rise builds so much flavor and keeps the crumb soft. Your 50g trick reminds me of something