Bakery #3: bakeries seem to use fermentation in different ways
Bakery #3 works very differently from the previous ones I spent time in.
This one uses electric ovens instead of wood-fired baking, but what struck me most is how differently fermentation and dough handling are approached from one bakery to another.
Some bakers focus heavily on timing and temperature, others pay closer attention to surface tension, humidity, shaping resistance, or how the score is likely to open during baking.
I would not have thought starters could be used in so many different ways.
After spending time in several bakeries, I’m starting to realize there’s no single correct process, but different ways of reading and guiding the dough depending on the environment, flour, starter, and production rhythm.
For people working with natural fermentation:
what’s one subtle sign you pay attention to that beginners usually overlook ?