Told my sourdough starter was 'too young' but it made my best loaf yet

I had this baker at a local shop in Portland tell me I needed to feed my starter for at least 6 months before it would give good oven spring. Well it's been 3 months and I proofed a loaf overnight, baked it at 475, and got a great ear and crumb. Has anyone else had good results ignoring that 'wait forever' advice?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbara27811d ago

3 months is plenty if your starter is active and doubling reliably. I jumped in at 6 weeks and got great results once I figured out the right hydration for my flour. Sometimes rules are more like guidelines for bread.

hannaht2911d agoTop Commenter

Is it really that deep though? @barbara278 I mean, bread has been around for thousands of years and people didn't obsess over starter age back then. My first loaf at 2 weeks was flat and dense, but it still tasted fine toasted with butter. Sometimes I wonder if we overthink this stuff when the real issue is just temperature or flour type.