My bread proofing box was 10 degrees off for 6 months

I kept getting dense loaves that wouldn't spring in the oven. Spent weeks tweaking my recipe and technique. Finally borrowed a friend's thermometer and checked my proofing box. The temp was set to 78 but actually running at 88. Threw off every batch for half a year before I caught it. Anyone else ever trust a gadget too long when it was clearly the problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

leeknight1d ago

Hold on, though. 88 degrees for proofing isn't terrible, some people do it on purpose. Maybe the real problem was your starter was just weak and the extra heat was the only thing saving you from even worse results. Sounds like you found the excuse you needed to finally change your recipe.

tylermason1d ago

Man that "borrowed a friend's thermometer" part really hits home... I had a similar thing with my oven thermometer, trusted it for like a year before I realized the glass was fogged up and it was reading 25 degrees low. Everything I baked came out either raw in the middle or burnt on the bottom, kept blaming my starter and flour. Ended up spending more on fancy ingredients than a new thermometer would've cost... feels like you get so focused on the recipe that you forget the tools could be the ones lying to you.