05/10/2026
A starter can be alive and still not be ready.
Before ours enters a dough, we look for more than bubbles.
We watch how quickly it rises after feeding, how much volume it gains, the shape of its surface, the structure of the bubbles and the way it smells. Together, these tell us where the culture is in its fermentation cycle.
Used too early, the wild yeast population may not yet have enough activity to raise the dough properly.
Used too late, the starter has already passed its strongest point. Acidity continues to develop, while the structure and lifting power begin to decline.
We knead with our starter at its peak: fully active, predictably doubled and ready to carry an entire batch without added commercial yeast.
That timing is one of the reasons our production begins while the café is closed.
📍 Tintin the Bakery | Lönnrotinkatu, Helsinki
We open Wednesday. The work has already begun.
