Chatted with a retired baker about proofing boxes and it got me thinking

I was at a bake sale last Saturday and this old guy named Dave who used to run a shop in Portland told me he always proofed his sourdough at 78 degrees, never higher. He said modern recipes push temps too high for speed and it kills the flavor. Has anyone else tried dropping their proofing temp and noticed a real difference in the crumb?

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saraho484mo ago

My neighbor tried that trick last winter with his rye starter. He dropped his proofing temp to 76 degrees after his crust kept browning too fast at higher temps. The difference was pretty clear. The crumb had a more open structure and the sourness was deeper, not sharp like before. Also the bread kept longer without drying out as quick. I switched my own method to 77 degrees after that and have not looked back. It takes a bit more patience but the flavor is worth it.

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alicecooper4mo ago

Dropped mine to 75 last month and the crust finally stopped burning before the inside was done.

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