Bench NotesStarter history
See how your starter behaves under similar conditions.
Track ratio, temperature, flour blend, peak time, and observed range.
BETTYRECENT FEEDS
1:3:378°F6h 38m
1:3:377°F6h 51m
1:3:379°F6h 34m
Your baking history, made useful.
Learn from every bake.
Bench Notes records the variables behind your starter and bakes, compares what changed, and helps you spot patterns worth carrying into the next bake.
Record Compare Notice Learn
From your bake history
Your higher-rated comparable bakes were shaped between 34–39% rise.
Based on 7 similar bakes using the same recipe and flour blend.
Most recent bake38% · ★★★★☆
Comparable range34–39%
Watch next bake37% target
Personal history, not a universal ruleVIEW BAKES →
The problem
Several things changed. Now what?
A result is easy to remember. The conditions behind it are not, especially when multiple variables moved at once.
You changed the flour.+10% whole wheat
Bulk was warmer.+2.8°F
Your starter peaked sooner.−34m
You proofed longer.+1h 20m
This bake turned out better.★★★★☆
One useful question
What’s worth carrying forward?
Bench Notes puts attempts side by side so you can see what changed, what stayed consistent, and what may be useful on the next bake.
RecordA compact bake record
CompareTwo records align
NoticeChanged values stand out
LearnContext carries forward
The signature view
Know what changed—and what did not.
Compare two bakes and see which variables moved, which stayed consistent, and what may be worth watching next time.
VARIABLE
BAKE ASep 14 · ★★★☆☆
BAKE BSep 21 · ★★★★☆
Dough temperature
78.4°F
81.2°F
Bulk duration
5h 35m
4h 42m
Rise at shaping
31%
38%
Cold proof
13h
11h
Recipe · hydration · flour
Same
Same
What changed most
Dough temperature+2.8°F
Bulk duration−53m
Rise at shaping+7%
Cold proof−2h
What stayed the same
RecipeHydrationFlour blend
EXAMPLE DATA · Differences add context for what may be worth watching next time
Planned vs actual
The plan is the starting point. The bake is what happened.
Bench Notes keeps both. A recipe may call for four hours; your bake can record that the dough actually needed four hours and forty-seven minutes.
SATURDAY BOULE / BULK FERMENTATION
Planned4h 00mTarget rise · 35%Dough temp · 80°F
Actual4h 47mRise at shaping · 42%Dough temp · 79.6°F
Plans are useful. What actually happened is more useful.
History that compounds
The more you record, the more useful your history becomes.
Generic estimates are useful at first. Over time, Bench Notes can compare new feeds with similar records from your own history: your starter, flour, temperatures, and process.
The goal is useful context, not universal rules.
Meet Betty.
She’s our example starter. As her feeds add up, Bench Notes can show how she behaves under similar conditions.
Betty · 11 comparable feeds1:3:3 · 77–79°F
STARTER VIGOR · Across these comparable feeds, Betty typically peaked around 6h 42m.
PEAK TIMES ACROSS COMPARABLE FEEDS
Typical peak 6h 42mObserved range 6h 08m–7h 19m
WHAT BETTY’S HISTORY SHOWS
Under similar conditions, Betty’s feeds are clustering into a useful planning range.
RECENT COMPARABLE FEEDSPEAK
1:3:3 · 78°F6h 38m
Bread flour · 3.6× rise
1:3:3 · 77°F6h 51m
Whole wheat flour · 3.4× rise
1:3:3 · 79°F6h 34m
All-purpose + rye · 3.8× rise
BEFORE HISTORYEstimated peak6–8 hours
AFTER 11 COMPARABLE FEEDSObserved peak range6h 08m–7h 19m
The supporting system
Everything that led to the bake stays connected.
Starter history, recipes, planning, active bakes, and outcomes stay connected so the record makes sense later.
Bake planner
Plan around your bake.
Start from when you want to begin, or work backward from oven time.
Example bake plan
Feed7:00
Mix1:30
Bulk2:00
Shape6:45
Bake8:00
Recipes and bakes
Keep the recipe and the bake separate.
A recipe defines the plan. The bake preserves what actually happened.
RECIPEPlanned starting pointBaker’s % · hydration · flour · yield · target temp · process
BAKEWhat actually happenedTiming · temperature · rise · proof · conditions · result
Bake log
A history you can actually use.
Scan key conditions, find similar attempts, and choose records to compare.
RECENT BAKESCOMPARE ◉
Sourdough BouleSep 21 · ★★★★☆
Bulk 82°F · 38% rise / Cold proof · 12h 20m ◫ photo
Country LoafSep 14 · ★★★☆☆
Bulk 78°F · 31% rise / Same-day proof · 1h 10m ◉ selected
What Bench Notes is for
Bench Notes is not just where you record what happened. It is where your baking history becomes useful.
Bench Notes helps you understand what changed, what stayed consistent, and what may be worth carrying into the next bake—so each record can add context to the next decision.
Give the next bake more context.
Record what happened. Compare it with what came before. Carry what you learn into the next bake.