Vent: my sourdough was flat for 6 months until I stopped proofing on the counter
Okay so I bake mostly sourdough, nothing fancy, just a weekly loaf for the house. For about 6 months every single loaf came out flat and dense and I blamed everything: my starter, my flour, the weather, the oven. Turns out the problem was my proofing spot. My kitchen in Sacramento runs about 78 degrees in the afternoon and I was leaving the dough out on the counter for 8 hours thinking that was normal. A guy at my local baking supply shop asked what temp my kitchen was and when I said 78 he just laughed and said I was way overproofing. I tried dropping the bulk ferment to 4 hours and doing the final rise in the fridge overnight instead. Next loaf came out with a real ear and open crumb for the first time. Honestly kind of mad at myself but also relieved it wasn't the starter. Anyone else deal with a warm kitchen messing up their timing? What temp do you guys aim for on bulk?