Rant: A customer told me my sourdough crust was 'too hard to chew' and it changed my whole bake

I mean, I was proud of that crackly, dark crust, but a regular at my local market in Spokane said it hurt her jaw. She said it straight up, 'I love the flavor, but I can't eat it.' So I dropped my oven temp by 25 degrees and added a pan of water for the first 10 minutes. Now the crumb is just as open, but the crust is way more friendly. Has anyone else had to soften their style after getting that kind of blunt feedback?

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona_scott443mo ago

Oh man, I totally get that, my neighbor said the same thing about my baguettes last year.

barbara3991mo ago

Actually I gotta push back a little here. That crackly crust isn't just about being showy. It's a texture thing, a flavor thing. When you bite through a proper baguette crust you get this contrast between the hard outside and the soft inside. That's the whole appeal. Some of us actually want that toughness, like a little challenge with our bread. Lower temp and steam might make it easier to eat but you lose that signature crunch. Different strokes I guess.

derek9393mo ago

Yeah, that's the worst kind of helpful, right? My ego took a hit when @fiona_scott44 mentioned her neighbor's feedback, because I was doing the same thing. I was so stuck on getting that perfect, loud crackle that I forgot some people just want to eat bread without a workout. Your fix with the lower temp and steam is smart, it keeps the good stuff inside while making the outside less like armor. Sometimes you need that blunt customer to snap you out of your own bubble.