A judge at the county fair in Modesto said my sourdough was 'underproofed and shy', so I started proofing by feel instead of the clock

Jade Flores · 2026-09-30T14:05:03.44745+00:00

I had been pulling my loaves at exactly 4 hours for two years because that is what a recipe card said. She poked one and told me it should spring back slow and feel like a marshmallow, not a tennis ball scored at 6 minutes. Now I watch the dough instead of the timer, and my last bake had a way more open crumb. How do you all judge when a bulk ferment is actually done in a cold kitchen?

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A judge at the county fair in Modesto said my sourdough was 'underproofed and shy', so I started proofing by feel instead of the clock | Bakers - Guest Forum