My neighbor said my sourdough looked like a 'sad, deflated football'
She pointed out I was over-proofing it by about two hours in my warm kitchen, so now I set a timer for half the time. Anyone have a good visual cue for when the dough is ready to bake?
My buddy swears by the poke test, where you poke the dough and watch how fast it springs back. If it springs back slow and leaves a little dent, it's ready to go.
That poke test @hayden_craig95 mentioned is a solid trick. Does your buddy use it for all dough types, like a wet sourdough versus a stiff bagel dough? I've found the spring-back speed can be totally different. A high hydration dough might barely spring back at all when it's ready, while a firmer dough needs that slow, partial return. It takes some practice to read the different behaviors.