People sometimes tell us a loaf was different from the one they bought a fortnight ago. They are right. It was.
Sourdough is a living thing and it answers to conditions that never repeat exactly. The temperature of the room, the temperature of the water, how long the dough sat before it went in, and above all the age and mood of the starter.
The starter has a best age
A starter that is past its prime cannot perform. One that is too young burns through its strength too quickly and collapses. There is a window in between where it is ready — puffed up to just shy of falling, and sharp enough in the nose to make you blink.
Judging that window is the whole job. It cannot be done by a clock.
Why we do not smooth it out
It would be possible to make every loaf identical, machine-like. It would mean adding things, controlling things, and baking to a schedule rather than to the dough. That is how most bread in a supermarket is made, and it is why most bread in a supermarket tastes like nothing much, or leaves your stomach lurching in confusion. Sometimes less is more.
We would rather hand you a loaf that is a little different this week and tell you honestly why.