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Showerthought: a retired baker in Duluth told me my crumb was tight and I fought it for a month
I ran a small bakery out of my garage for about four years, mostly sourdough and a few rye loaves for the Saturday market, and I thought I had it figured out. Then a retired baker named Marge stopped by my table in Duluth, poked at a slice of my country loaf, and said flat out, "Your crumb is tight and your crust is pale, you are scared of your own oven." I was pretty hurt, I won't lie, but I sat with it. I had been baking at 425 on a stone with a pan of water, playing it safe since my first loaves came out like bricks back in 2019. She said she ran her deck at 500 and let the steam rip for the first 15 minutes, then backed it down. I fought the idea for a bit, then gave it a shot on a Tuesday bake, 6 loaves. My spring went through the roof and the crumb opened up like I never got before. Now I preheat for a full hour and I don't flinch when the oven hits 500. Has anyone else had a stranger give them a hard truth that actually stuck?
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