c/baking-fails-and-wins

My sourdough crust keeps tearing when I score it, recipe says 78% hydration

I've tried 6 different scoring blades and watched every YouTube video out there, but the dough still snags and deflates every single time. It never happens with my regular white bread loaf, only the sourdough with that high water content. Is there a trick with shaping or proofing time that I'm missing, or should I just lower the hydration to 70% and call it a day?

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dakota_miller93•3d ago

Creampie vs. buttercream, finally understand why my Swiss meringue kept weeping

Realized after 4 failed batches last Sunday that my butter was at fridge temp even though I thought it was room temp, so now I use a laser thermometer on it every single time, has anyone else had this issue with their kitchen running colder than they think?

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anna717•7d ago

Why does nobody talk about how baking soda loses its punch over time?

I kept wondering why my cookies came out flat even though I followed the recipe exactly. Then my sister, who bakes professionally in Denver, pointed out that my baking soda box had been in the cupboard for maybe 2 years. She told me to test it by dropping a spoonful into vinegar, and it barely fizzed. I tossed it and got a fresh box, and the very next batch puffed up perfectly. Has anyone else dealt with stale leavening sneaking up on them?

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garcia.wren•8d ago

Why does nobody talk about how baking soda loses its punch over time?

I only figured this out after three flat loaves in a row and a frustrated call to my aunt, who laughed and said 'that box is older than my youngest kid.' Has anyone else had a recipe go sideways just because the leavener was stale?

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zaranelson•10d ago

My sourdough loaf went from doorstop to bakery in 9 days

I started my starter on May 3rd and the first 6 loaves were flat, dense, and honestly could have broken a window. Then I read about how the hydration was the issue, not my kneading, so I dropped it from 78% to 65% and added a cold proof overnight in the fridge. By day 9, I pulled out a loaf with actual ear and crumb shot through, my neighbors thought I bought it from a shop. The only change was patience with the bulk ferment at 72 degrees, so now I'm wondering what else I've been rushing this whole time. Has anyone else had a sudden switch flip after tweaking just one thing like hydration or temp?

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anthony_jackson31•10d ago

Butter temperature actually matters, I learned the hard way after 4 failed cookie batches

I always thought room temperature butter was just a suggestion. Last month I melted it in the microwave twice, and both times my cookies came out flat and greasy. Then I tried the cold butter straight from the fridge and creamed it with sugar for a full 5 minutes. Night and day difference. The cold butter traps air way better. Has anyone else fought with this or am I the only one who thought melted was fine?

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the_jenny•12d ago

The day I traded my mixer for my hands and never looked back

I used to be all about the stand mixer, especially for cinnamon rolls. But about 5 years ago, I started reading that hand-kneading gives you a better feel for the dough, and honestly, I thought it was just pretentious nonsense. Then I took a bread class in Portland where the instructor made us knead by hand for 20 minutes, no gloves, no gadgets. The texture was completely different, more elastic and airy, and my rolls came out fluffier than they had in years. Now I only pull out the mixer for heavy cookie dough or meringue, and I actually enjoy the quiet time of kneading while I watch the news. Has anyone else switched to a more old-fashioned method and seen a real improvement, or am I just kidding myself?

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emma_lee22•13d ago

Salvaged a flat cake with a mason jar trick, no lie

After 3 tries my sponge kept sinking in the middle, so I grabbed a clean empty jam jar, set it on the wire rack, and draped the cake over it to cool upside down. It worked perfectly, now I'm wondering why I spent all that time flipping pans and testing toothpicks, has anyone else used this weird hack?

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mitchell.avery•15d ago

The $15 oven thermometer that made me stop guessing

I used to set my oven to 350 and just trust it, but my cookies kept coming out flat and pale. After 4 failed batches last month, I grabbed a cheap Taylor thermometer from the Ace in Wichita and found my oven runs 40 degrees cold. Dialed it up and now my shortbread actually browns on the bottom... has anyone else checked their real temp or is my old gas range just weird?

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dianawilson•15d ago

PSA: Check the oven temp at the Elmsford community center before baking there

I used the big convection oven at the Elmsford community center last Saturday for a charity bake sale. The dial said 350 but my cakes took almost 20 extra minutes to bake, and the tops came out darker than usual. After three batches, I finally put my own thermometer in and it read 405 the whole time. Someone else had baked bread there the week before and complained about burnt crusts, so this probably isn't new. The center doesn't have a maintenance log for the ovens, and the staff just shrugged when I told them. If you're planning to bake there for an event, bring a thermometer and check it before you trust the dial. Has anyone else run into this at a shared kitchen and how did you handle it?

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joseph_green13•15d ago

Appreciation post: my grandma's bakery notebook changed how I read recipes

I was going through old boxes at my mom's house last week and found my grandma's bakery notebook from the 1970s. She ran a small cake business out of her kitchen in Cleveland, and her notes are wild. She wrote things like "add a splash more milk if the dough feels mad" and "oven lies, trust the smell." It hit different because I've spent 10 years following recipes to the letter and getting frustrated when they fail. Talking to my mom about it made me realize I never learned to feel my way through baking, I just followed steps like a robot. Since finding that notebook, I've started making small tweaks on purpose, and my sourdough has never been better. Has anyone else inherited a family recipe guide that made them loosen up in the kitchen?

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barbaradavis•16d ago

My sister told me my cookies were too dense, she was right about the butter

My sister said my chocolate chip cookies tasted like hockey pucks. I got mad at first but then I thought about it. I was melting the butter all the way and then creaming it with sugar. She told me to just soften it and cream it for like 3 minutes until it's fluffy. Tried it last weekend with the same recipe and they spread so much better and the texture is way lighter. Has anyone else figured out that room temp butter makes that big of a difference or was I just doing it wrong this whole time?

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parker_webb•18d ago

My sourdough starter finally doubled after 6 weeks of neglect

I've been baking sourdough off and on for about a year, and my starter always felt like a lost cause. It would bubble a little, but never really rise. Then last month we got hit with a busy stretch at work, and I basically forgot to feed it for almost 10 days. When I finally scooped off the gray liquid and gave it some fresh flour and water, it doubled in size within 5 hours. I guess all that starving actually forced the yeast to get aggressive. Now I'm wondering if I should keep it in the fridge and only feed it weekly, that seems to be what woke it up. Has anyone else had a starter that needed a near-death experience to finally get going? I'd love to hear if this is a known thing or just luck.

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cora_west5•20d ago

My sourdough starter finally doubled after 23 days of feeding it

I read someone say 'just keep feeding it even when it looks dead' and I almost gave up at day 15, but now it's so active I made two loaves that actually rose, has anyone else had a starter that took way longer than the recipes promise?

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shanes66•22d ago

The $28 pizza stone I bought last spring still hasn't left my oven rack

After five failed focaccia attempts with pooled edges and soggy bottoms, that cheap stone fixed my heat distribution problem overnight, but now I'm wondering if anyone else just leaves theirs in there permanently or do you actually take it out for other bakes?

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xenabutler•26d ago

That time I bought fancy bread flour and it didn't make a difference

I spent $12 on a bag of King Arthur bread flour because I saw all these baking pros swear by it. Thought it would make my homemade bread way better. Made three loaves with it and three with the regular store brand flour I always use. Honestly couldn't tell a difference in the rise or taste. My family ate both batches the same way. Maybe my baking skills aren't good enough to notice the upgrade. Anyone else wasted money on a specialty ingredient that flopped?

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the_laura•28d ago

Took me 10 years to realize I was overmixing muffin batter

I always wondered why my muffins came out dense and rubbery instead of light and fluffy. I'd follow the recipe exactly, mix until smooth, and still get these hockey pucks. Last month my sister in law watched me make a batch and was like, 'uh, you're supposed to stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears.' I thought she was crazy. Turns out overmixing develops too much gluten, which is great for bread but terrible for muffins. Now I leave big lumps in the batter on purpose and they come out perfect every time. Has anyone else baked something for years before figuring out a basic step they were messing up?

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fionanguyen•29d ago

That one time I ruined a batch of macarons at a neighbor's bake sale

I was helping at a bake sale in my neighborhood last spring and decided to make macarons. I forgot to age my egg whites and they came out all cracked and lumpy. Does anyone have a trick for fixing runny batter without starting over?

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ivan462•29d ago

Pro tip: setting a timer on your phone can save a loaf of bread

I was making a sourdough last Saturday and got distracted watching a football game. The loaf ended up baking for like 20 extra minutes because I forgot to set my oven timer. Came out dark brown and hard as a rock, totally ruined. Now I always set two separate timers just in case one doesn't go off. Has anyone else lost a bake to forgetting the timer?

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abbyf79•2mo ago

Appreciation post: The cold butter trick for pie crust I ignored for years

I spent a decade making soggy, tough pie crusts because I thought room temp butter was easier to work with. Last Thanksgiving I finally tried grating frozen butter into my flour and it gave me the flakiest crust I've ever made in my life. Why do we keep doing things the hard way when the simple fix is just a few minutes in the freezer?

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kai839•2mo ago

Had to pick between butter and shortening for my pie crust yesterday

Went with shortening because I wanted flaky layers, but my crust came out tough as leather. Anyone else have better luck with all-butter for fruit pies?

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bell.jessica•2mo ago

Tried butter vs shortening in my pie crust and it wasn't even close

I spent last weekend making two apple pies side by side to settle this debate for myself. One crust used all butter, the other used vegetable shortening like my grandma's recipe calls for. The butter crust came out flaky and actually had flavor, while the shortening one was just pale and greasy tasting. My wife said the shortening pie felt like eating a spoonful of Crisco with apples on top. I measured both at exactly 2 1/2 cups flour to 1 cup fat so it was a fair test. Anyone else ditch shortening completely after trying an all butter crust?

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victorhernandez•2mo ago

Just realized sourdough starter doesn't need to be babied like everyone says

I kept hearing all these rules about feeding at exact times and using filtered water. My starter died twice following that advice. Then I went on a 10 day trip to Phoenix and left it in the fridge with nothing. Came back, fed it once, and it was bubbling like crazy in 6 hours. Anybody else think the whole starter care thing is overcomplicated?

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emma_lee22•2mo ago

Pro tip: a hot oven doesn't always mean a shorter bake time

I found out last week that my oven runs 25 degrees hotter than it says, so I've been overbaking cookies for months lol. A $6 oven thermometer from Target totally changed my results. Has anyone else had their oven lie to them?

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sethm58•2mo ago

Used to sift flour every single time for cakes, now I skip it completely except for one recipe

For years I sifted flour for every cake I made because that's what my grandma taught me. Changed my approach about 2 years ago after I forgot to sift for a chocolate cake and it came out exactly the same. Turns out modern flour is way finer than what they had back then. Now I only sift when I make angel food cake because that one actually needs it for the air. Has anyone else stopped doing this and noticed zero difference?

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