Temperature × recipe
Sourdough Bagel at 83–87°F
Adjusted timing: 0.6h bulk + 6.7h proof (multiplier 0.56×).
- Baseline bulk (76°F)
- 1h
- Adjusted bulk
- 0.6h
- Baseline proof
- 12h
- Adjusted proof
- 6.7h
- Multiplier
- 0.56×
- Activity
- hyperactive
- Target hydration
- 55%
- Bake temp
- 500°F
Why the timing shifts
Hot kitchen — summer without AC, near-window light. Ferment nearly 2× faster than baseline. Not ideal — fermentation outpaces gluten development, leading to over-acidic flavor and collapsed structure. If unavoidable, use very low levain (10-12%), minimal bulk (2h max), and get dough into cold retard ASAP. Consider reducing bulk temperature by moving dough to cooler location (basement, refrigerator brief intervals).
Technique for Sourdough Bagel
Mix dough (stand mixer recommended due to stiffness). Short 1h bulk. Divide into 100g pieces, shape into rings. Place on parchment, cold retard 12-24h. Bring 4L water + 2 tbsp malt syrup + 1 tsp baking soda to gentle boil. Drop bagels 30 sec per side. Transfer to sesame/poppy/everything seeds if desired. Bake on preheated baking sheet at 500°F with steam for 18 min until deep golden.
Calculator pre-set to these values
- Multiplier at 85°F
- 0.56×
- Adjusted bulk ferment
- 0.6 h
- Adjusted final proof
- 6.7 h
How the math works
Multipliers are piecewise-linear interpolations between reference points measured by Myhrvold et al. in Modernist Bread vol 3. 76°F is the baseline (1.0×); every 10°F drop roughly doubles fermentation time, and every 10°F rise roughly halves it.