Sourdough, third attempt

Sep 21, 2026

The first two loaves came out flat and sour enough to strip paint. This one actually rose. What changed:

The starter was not ready

I was baking when the starter had bubbles, not when it reliably doubled within six hours. Two more weeks of feeding at 1:2:2 twice a day fixed that. Float test is unreliable with rye; doubling is the better signal.

Less water

75% hydration with weak flour just spreads. Dropped to 68% and the dough finally held a shape after the final fold.

What I used

450 g bread flour, 50 g whole rye
340 g water, 100 g starter, 10 g salt
Four sets of stretch-and-folds, 30 minutes apart
Overnight in the fridge, baked cold in a Dutch oven: 20 min lid on at 250°C, 22 min lid off at 230°C

Next time: try a longer bulk at room temperature before the fridge. The crumb was still a bit tight near the bottom.