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My mother in law insisted I was overproofing my dough
She told me I was letting my sourdough rise for way too long and that 2 hours was plenty. I followed her advice and baked a flat, dense brick that nobody wanted to eat. Has anyone else had a family member give them baking advice that just didn't work out?
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coleman.keith15d ago
Devil's advocate here. Your MIL might have been onto something if your starter was super active and your kitchen was like 78-80 degrees. Two hours can work for a high-ratio starter in a warm room with lower hydration dough. I've accidentally let a batch go 5 hours in a hot kitchen and ended up with a sticky, overproofed mess that collapsed in the oven. The real trick is watching for that domed, jiggly top and a few bubbles, not just the clock. But yeah, your specific recipe probably needed way more time, so it's a balancing act.
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val_wilson16d ago
Read somewhere that sourdough timing depends a lot on your kitchen temp and the hydration of your dough. Two hours is way short for a proper bulk ferment unless your house is like 85 degrees. Your MIL probably works with commercial yeast or a much warmer environment. The flat brick is a classic sign of underproofing, happens to a lot of folks when they cut the time too short.
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