> The starter paper you pointed to put a lot of emphasis on temperature.
> I haven't found it to be very critical. Remember, historically speaking
> effective temperature control is a relatively recent technology -
> sourdough has been used since at least the time of the pharaohs. On
> that scale, thermometers are recent introductions. And yet, sourdough
> worked. Frequency of feeding is more critical.
>


Mike, I am not quite sure this fairly represents the situation of the
ancients so to speak. After all before central heating, and by design
in the case of much vernacular architecture a home would have a very
wide variety of temperatures in which different stages of bread
making, starter storage etc. could be carried out. In most European
homes at least during winter a fire would be constantly burning and
warming kitchen etc - conversely there would be a cellar and/or larder
for cool food storage. In the case of actual bakeries most would have
pastry rooms as cool as possible away from oven. Not of course to say
that the daily weather or typical climate of a location would not have
influenced baking methods overall or by the day, pre-refrigeration
etc.

yours
andy forbes