Okay, I know everyone swears by weighing flour, but my best sourdough week ever happened when my scale broke

This was about two months ago, right after the holidays. My digital scale just stopped turning on, and I was in the middle of my usual Saturday bake. I was so frustrated, but I had a starter to feed and a craving for a specific seeded rye. I just went back to the scoop-and-sweep method my grandma taught me, using the same metal cup for everything. That whole week, my loaves had the most consistent, open crumb I'd seen in ages. The dough just felt better in my hands, maybe because I was paying more attention to how it looked and felt instead of staring at a number. I'm not saying scales are bad, but for me, getting off the grams for a bit made me remember how to actually read the dough. Has anyone else had a moment where going 'old school' actually fixed a problem you were having?

3 comments

3 Comments

emery2901mo ago

My scale died last month and my focaccia got way better, so I get it. It's like what beth276 said about the manual, sometimes you just need to stop overthinking it. My hands are a better judge than a screen anyway.

beth2761mo ago

My buddy's bread machine worked better after he lost the manual.

aaronsullivan1mo ago

Wait, he lost the whole manual? That's wild. I'd be lost trying to figure out which button is for basic white bread, @beth276. My machine has like fifteen settings and a "keep warm" function I'm scared to touch. I guess your buddy just started hitting buttons and hoping for the best, and it actually worked. Sometimes you just gotta force yourself to stop reading the fine print.