The day I stopped chasing perfect sourdough crumb shots

I used to spend every Saturday hovering over my proofing basket, timing rises to the minute and adjusting hydration by grams. Then last fall I entered my sourdough in the county fair and a 70 year old grandma with a $5 starter from the 1980s absolutely crushed me with her rustic country loaf. Her bread had uneven holes, a slightly lopsided shape, and it tasted ten times better than my instagram-perfect boule. Now I focus more on fermentation time and oven spring instead of trying to get that airy, alveolated crumb everyone posts about. My loaves come out denser but way more flavorful, and I actually enjoy baking again. Has anyone else stopped caring about the perfect crumb and just started baking for taste instead?

2 comments

2 Comments

joseph_adams662d ago

I'll be honest, I used to roll my eyes at people who said they didn't care about the crumb (I was deep in the instagram bread rabbit hole, you know?). But then I had a loaf from a friend's grandma that looked like a lumpy brick - and it was honestly the best bread I'd ever eaten, no joke. That flipped a switch for me, and now I'd rather have a dense, tangy loaf that actually tastes like something than a pretty one that's mostly air.

patricialee2d ago

Same here, stopped weighing everything and my bread finally tastes like bread should.