That baker at the farmer’s market laughed at my sourdough starter

I was at the Saturday market in Portland last summer and this older woman running a bread stall asked to see my starter. She took one sniff, laughed, and said “this smells like a wet sock that gave up.” She then spent 10 minutes showing me how to feed it with rye flour instead of white. I switched that day and my loaves finally got that tangy rise I was chasing. Has anyone else gotten roasted by a veteran baker over something basic?

2 comments

2 Comments

cameron7709d ago

Portland baker sounds like a real character. I had something similar happen at a tiny bakery in Seattle a few years back. Guy took one look at my kneading technique and goes "you're fighting the dough like it owes you money." Then he showed me a slap and fold method that changed everything. @ivangrant that article about rye is spot on, I tried a 50/50 rye and white blend after that baker told me the same thing. The wet sock comment is gold, I'm stealing that for my next baking disaster story.

ivangrant10d ago

Oh man, that's brutal but honestly kind of hilarious! I actually read an article just last week in some food blog about how rye flour changes the whole microbiome of a starter compared to white flour, something about acids and wild yeast balance. I bet that baker has seen a thousand sad starters come through that market and she couldn't help herself. Your wet sock comment made me laugh out loud, that's a keeper for sure.