Instant yeast vs sourdough starter, my 5 year switch back
I ran a sourdough starter for 5 years in Portland and defended it to everyone who would listen. Last month my starter died during a heat wave and I had to use instant yeast for a Saturday market order of 40 loaves. The crumb was tighter but the flavor was 90% there and I saved about 8 hours of feeding and planning. Anyone else ditch their starter after a long run with it, or am I missing something about the sourdough finish?
Killed my starter twice in one summer and felt like I lost a pet both times. Turns out the bread still tastes good and nobody at the market noticed the difference.