Hot take: you don't need a fancy starter setup to make good sourdough

Met a guy at a farmers market in Portland last fall who has been baking for 30 years with just flour, water, and a mason jar. He told me he's never bought a banneton or a lame in his life, just uses a butter knife and a bowl lined with a kitchen towel. Made me realize half the gear we obsess over is just marketing fluff. Has anyone else had a run-in with a baker who totally ignored the conventional tools?

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dakota_rivera5mo ago

I gotta push back on that a little. Holly, that whole time and practice thing only gets you so far if your tools are holding you back. I tried the butter knife and towel thing for like six months and my scoring was all over the place, plus the dough kept sticking no matter how much flour I used. A $12 lame and a $15 banneton made a massive difference overnight, straight up better shape and more consistent rise. Sometimes the right gear actually does save you from wasting ingredients and getting frustrated enough to quit.

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holly_gonzalez615mo ago

Notice how that same pattern shows up everywhere - people think buying the expensive tools makes you the expert, but it's really just time and practice that builds the skill.

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