Step 1: feed the sourdough starter About 12 hours before you plan to mix the dough, to a clean jar add; 10 grams unfed starter 25 grams water 25 grams flour Cover the jar loosely and allow it to rest and room temperature. 10 Pieces 5 Inch Bread Banneton Proofing Basket Round Dough Sourdough Soft water has <50ppm, medium 50-100ppm (best for bread baking), hard >200ppm. Next, add 8g fine sea salt. Maybe 80% final hydration if your levain is more "liquid" than 100% Hyd. Place in bannetons. The good news is, there's always a way to fix your sourdough bread problems for your next bake! Is Cake Flour The Same As Self-Rising Flour? But if you leave the flour, water, starter and salt to autolyse, the flour absorbs all the water and becomes fully hydrated. Matching my work schedule. Rye Sourdough Bread Red Currant Bakery Then the dough cannot stick to the surface. CAUSE - gummy sourdough can be caused by a starter that's too young or inactive and or under fermentation. Will be back to update! Insufficient gluten development is what makes the dough so sticky, so if youre using a low protein flour (protein in flour creates gluten), it wont be able to create as much gluten in the dough and it will, therefore, be stickier. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'crustylabs_com-leader-4','ezslot_20',129,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-crustylabs_com-leader-4-0');If you are proofing your dough in a non porous material such as a metal or glass container, then oiling is preferred over dusting with flour. If the bread dough feels correct but is the baked loaf is fragile and sticky inside, it is under-cooked. Baking SOS: how to solve 10 common bread problems by Luis Troyano A tell tale sign that you haven't let your bread cool properly is having a "sticky" knife when you remove it from your bread. Thanks @Barryval and @ifs201! Score the bread on top with any design you like. 10 Pieces 5 Inch Bread Banneton Proofing Basket Round Dough Sourdough Proofing Basket Rattan Bakery Baking Bread Bowl with Liner and Scraper Tool Set for Starter Gifts Professional Home Bakers : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen The difference between wet dough being successful and wet dough being a big sloppy mess is dough strength. Always ensure that youre using the right techniques for your sourdough to build the most gluten. The trick is to pinpoint which one is affecting your dough so you can fix it or change your formula for next time. The only solution for this is to toss your dough and put your time into strengthening and maturing your sourdough starter. Let your sourdough bread come to room temperature before you cut into it. What is a Pate Fermentee? Dough is sticky and wet from under mixing as insufficient gluten network is developed to hold in the water molecules. Spelt Sourdough Bread: The Ultimate Guide to Health and Flavor CAUSE - This most likely caused by under fermentation, but can sometimes be a shaping issue too. Sourdough bread recipe - BBC Food Young sourdough starter lacks the established yeast colonies necessary to raise bread. If you find that your sourdough sticks to most things, take a look at my guide on how to stop sourdough sticking to everything. You can then start to increase the hydration if you wish. . Over fermentation is a cause of wet, sticky dough. You should aim to handle your dough more like that as you get more practice. The flour will absorb water and become incorporated during the stretches and folds. These need to be done without hesitation. Sticky dough isn't necessarily a bad thing, although I appreciate how frustrating it is for a new baker. Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners | Little - Little Spoon Farm Some things to have on hand to work with really wet dough are: So how do you fix wet and sticky sourdough? Hi community, i am new to this forum but have been reading a lot of advice from fellow bakers here while my sister and I are trying out our very first sourdough.. We have gotten to "Charlie" (we name our sourdoughs alphabetically hoping to get it right before the alphabet "Z"), but our sourdoughs were never right. Both of you mentioned a point in common on the hydration where I made a huge mistake on as I did not account for the hydration of the starter added. You went with 150 and 150 - which is only 300, then 90 WW and 45 starter, for a total of 435. and so that drove the hydration from 81%, which is still fairly high, to over 90%. Oil the mixing bowl, the bowl used for bulk fermentation and folding, and the proofing vessel. You might think it seems dry when you first mix it and add extra water. You see, when your hands are wet, the dough cannot stick to them easily, so it just slips right through them. This part is extremely important as its what determines whether you end up with a well-shaped sourdough or a mess. A well developed gluten network has the strength to hold the gases and produce an even crumb. The easiest thing you can do to handle your sticky sourdough is to simply make it less sticky by cutting back on the water. If you simply cant handle sourdough with medium-to-high hydration, its better for you to either gradually knead in more flour or start off with less water in the first place. Your bread may still be sticky after baking if it has been underbaked, has too much water in it, or has had problems with gluten development in the dough. In my other courses, I teach how to bake all sorts of sourdough breads, but in this course, I won't load you down with lots of information, just enough so it is easy and fun to bake your first loaf of sourdough. Autolyze reduces the wetness and stickiness of the dough and makes mixing and handling of the dough much easier. For example, the problem may be a recipe that calls for more hydration than the flour youre using requires. . 14. When to Cut Sourdough Bread to get Beautiful Even Slices Sometimes white bread, while initially fine, after a few days becomes sticky inside as if its going back to a dough-state, though not quite. 4.Under-baked bread 5. Why Is My Sourdough Bread So Dense? - Breadopedia.com Skin tension during shaping is developed when one side of the dough sticks lightly on the work surface while the hands pulls the dough inwards from the opposite side, stretching the surface of the dough taut. Plastic and metal dough scrapers are useful tools and both have their own pros and cons. The dough was definitely NOT underproofed - I'd recently been overproofing and this particular bake was, if anything, still a little over. Meanwhile chop the cranberries. Temperature is one of the most important factors when making sourdough. SOLUTION - reduce proofing time. This makes it easier to handle. PROBLEM - My sourdough bread has an unusual cone shape after baking. Take the temp before cutting into it. I would like to share with you what I have learnt from the many hours spent researching and testing these baking techniques myself. Autolyse for an hour before adding the starter (rest 30m) and salt (rest 15m) all by hand using the folding and pinching method. The usual choice of flour for dusting includes bread flour, rice flour, semolina; all these flour works just as well for preventing sourdough from sticking. Required fields are marked *. Simple Sourdough Bread {Using Starter!} - i am baker No Knead Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread | Small Batch Sourdough The problem here is, there's not a lot you can do with over fermented dough. Once you get it all set to go try this delicious Sourdough Focaccia recipe yum! no one but me would notice or care). This isn't the worst that could happen :), but I would really like to understand why the stickiness, and how to get rid of it. Make sure that you do your best to avoid this mistake by learning about sourdough fermentation timing and knowing when its ready to move onto the next step. Turn out to lightly floured counter, divide into 2, preshape. As you knead any bread dough, you should notice that it goes from a shaggy mess to more of a smooth mass of dough thats become less sticky. Dont forget about your dough or leave it in a warm area for too long or youll end up regretting it. If the dough is too sticky at this point, add a little flour and knead it in. If the dough is too sticky at this point, add a little flour and knead it in. Extending bulk fermentation will help to fix this problem. Add the dry mixture. One set of strong Stretch & Folds. sourdough before baking. Starting at a lower hydration (70% is good) is best for beginners. One of the most obvious causes of wet dough is using too much water in the dough. Sourdough Bread - Golubka Kitchen Bread a little moist inside - Sourdough Help! My Sourdough is Too Wet and Sticky - Crusty Labs However, it shouldnt be so sticky that it is hard to knead. A basic sourdough is made with only wheat flour, sometimes just white flour and sometimes a combination of whole wheat flour and white flour. #1 Sourdough Bread Baking 101 - The Baking Network Learn how to make bread and pizza with this awesome book. It really depends on where you are in the sourdough process. After sourdough fermentation, the lactic acid bacteria produce acetaldehyde. Bake in preheated, covered DO at 475F for 20 minutes, then uncovered at 450F for 20 minutes. STEP THREE: Stir down the starter, then mix 1/3 cup of sourdough starter (90 grams) with water (385 grams) using a fork. Make sure that you're not using too much flour when shaping your dough. As the flour is better hydrated, more water is absorbed by the dough, and less water is coating the doughs surface which makes the dough feels less wet and sticky. Add 60g of sourdough starter and set the tare to zero again; then add the salt and water, again, I find it easier to set the tare to zero before adding the flour. So that should work out to (282+45)/(390+45)=75%. Flip the bowl over onto the countertop so that the dough is now on top of the parchment paper. Is rye flour good for . You don't want to add extra flour as this will affect the texture of the end product (which actually won't be very good at that point). The side thats dusted with flour is the only side that you or anything else touches. If it sticks at this stage, youll have a much more difficult time and it could throw of the results of your bread. Another tactic is adding flour to the work surface before you start working with the dough. Begin mixing the flour in with a spoon or fork, then continue mixing with your hand, until all the flour is incorporated and you have a shaggy dough. If youre new to making sourdough bread, youre bound to run into a few issues at first, especially if youre not experienced with sticky dough. Dont try traditional kneading techniques like punch and turn with moist sourdough. In our previous attempts, we thought it was undercooked, hence the longer baking time for Charlie this time round. Q: My dough is too slack and is not developing good strength. The average total mixing time when using a spiral mixer is around 6 minutes of total mixing (includes first speed mixing time and second speed mixing time). Wet and sticky dough not only sticks to the work surfaces but also to our hands, increasing the risk of tearing and making it very difficult to work with. Under fermented dough will also cause you to have a pale crust that just doesn't brown up, even when you cook it longer. Wet, sticky dough can be super messy - and preventing mess in the kitchen is always a good thing! Excess flour at shaping can mean that your dough does not seal back onto itself, causing tunnels of air to form when baking. A starter is a collection of yeast and bacteria that feed on flour. 480F is not as hot as you could bake. This is a one of the most frustrating sourdough bread problems to have. Avoid using cake or pastry flour for dusting as it contains a higher starch content and tends to lump up more than bread, rice or semolina flour. Even though our dough doubled in size at the end of four hours with visible strength around the rounded sides, there weren't bubbles on the surface of the dough. Thanks!! This is the sourdough baking course you need if you are just starting out in sourdough bread baking. Jack Sturgess. *This article may contain affiliate links. Cut one loaf of sourdough bread into 1" cubes. Without salt, the dough becomes sticky and slack in nature, making it difficult to work with. April 30, 2020. CAUSE - This is typically caused by under fermenting your dough, but can also happen through using too much flour when you shape your bread. We will be trying out as what you have suggested for a 75% hydration for the next one, will be back to post our results! CAUSE - cutting into your bread too soon! CAUSE - Spreading can be caused by a few factors including under fermented or over fermented dough as well as poor shaping technique. This also provides its sour flavour and. Stir together until the starter is dissolved and the water looks cloudy. Place on a peel, slip into the oven, and watch. Switch to a wood spoon. Extend your bulk fermentation time. (Top Reasons). Sourdough Bread Scoring and Slashing Sourdough Bread Baking | Facebook When using a proofing basket, line it with a clean cloth and dust its surface with flour by using a sieve to ensure an even coating. Place the lid on and bake for 30 minutes. This increases the chances of tearing, which can make your life more difficult when shaping or kneading it. Mix until no dry patches remain. Use mineral water of a known hardness or test your tap water to be sure that your water has the appropriate hardness level for bread baking. Modified: Dec 27, 2022 by The Pantry Mama This post may contain affiliate links. Having a strong gluten network means that the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast will be evenly distributed. If you've found this article on handling wet, sticky sourdough helpful, you might also enjoy these: What a great resource you've created here. PROBLEM - You may have baked a loaf of sourdough which appears to have large tunnels of air or just one big hole surrounded by a tighter or dense crumb. Stir vigorously until combined; it might look like a sticky, thick dough. Content posted by community members is their own. CAUSE - the dough has been over fermented and/or over proofed and has too much air trapped in the shaped dough. What has gone wrong to cause this issue? More noticeable sour taste, possibly unpleasant. It is normal when working with dough of very high hydration for it to feel quite wet and sticky after it has finished mixing. Sourdough does not stop cooking when you take it out of the oven. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30-60 minutes. All original site content copyright 2023 The Fresh Loaf unless stated otherwise. Our problem was with the tacky, rubbery, sticky insides of the baked bread (I could press a piece of the inside between my fingers and it would stick on without falling) no matter how long we bake it for (Charlie was baked for 40 mins in the cast iron and 20 mins on a rack, and the picture attached shows the insides). Acetaldehyde is a known stomach irritant and causes watery diarrhea. Place on a floured cake or bowl with a tea towel and fold over. During shaping, we want to wet our hands to prevent the dough from sticking to it. This will result in a more. I tried your suggestions, kinda - 2 large (880g) loaves baked covered at 465F for 25 minutes, then uncovered at 425 for 25 minutes. If baking in a pre-heated oven, turn on the oven to at least 200C/392F, once heated, add two big glasses of water to a dish on the bottom shelf Evenly roll out your small 2- to 4-ounce balls into small circles a scant quarter inch thick. Similarly, if your sourdough starter is too runny you may also end up with a super wet dough. Dough made with a young sourdough starter just won't develop. It might be that your sourdough is too sticky because there is insufficient gluten development. 8 oz active sourdough starter, 12 oz warm water, 5 oz rye flour, 12 oz bread flour. Your dough might be too sticky because you added too much water when making the initial mix, too. Just know that it will be sticky early in this process. Though my guess is, that if you are getting the internal final temp to 211 F (even 210 F is usually good enough even for a mostly whole grain loaf)and it's still gummy, then your hydration was too high to start with. If you can see the light through the dough, youre done the kneading. #1 Sourdough Bread Baking 101 - The Baking Network As gluten develops more readily in a drier environment, this method allows the extra hydration to be easily incorporated into the dough. No More Dense Sourdough - A Sourdough Guide - Home Grown Happiness For example a gummy crumb can be caused by a starter that's too young and or under fermented dough. Sourdough generally contains more water, which makes the gluten more likely to cling to everything. The hardness of water measureshow much calcium and magnesium ion is present (expressed as ppm). Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.Thanks!Jeff. Why Is My Sourdough Bread Gummy? - Busby's One of the best might just be whipping up a batch of sourdough crackers with just a cup of your discarded starter, a cup of flour, a dash of salt, and about a quarter cup of butter. Baking the Sourdough: Preheat your oven to 450F (225C) and a baking pan. A lack of oven spring could be due to a shaping issue, under fermentation or poor gluten development - but more often than not it's a combination of a few things. . Loaf In a small mixing bowl, mix the flour and salt together thoroughly. 25 minute proof at room temperature. Pale crust after baked. A strong, mature sourdough starter will reward you with amazing sourdough at your next bake. Beginner bakers are best to start off with low to medium hydration dough before moving onto high hydration. This helps keep the dough from sticking. You can read my five best tips for strengthening a sourdough starter, Extending your bulk fermentation time to allow your dough to rise and ferment properly. The chains of gluten give your dough strength and structure. Can you just add more flour to your sourdough? Your dough should be split into two sides. Hi, I'm Kate! If you're not sure about some of the terms used in this article, you might find this sourdough glossary helpful. After fermenting for too long, the gluten in the dough begins to break down, which leaves you with a thick, gloopy mass of flour and water with no way to make good sourdough. So 180 grams would mean 80 grams of flour and 100 grams of water (because 80 x 1.25 = 100 grams; see above section for calculations) Step 2 - The recipe contains 600 grams flour and 360 grams water. Your dough might be too sticky because you added too much water when making the initial mix, too. SOLUTION - Lack of oven spring can be a complex problem. You can make a loaf of perfectly good sourdough bread at around 65% hydration if you want to. This site is powered by Drupal. If you are doing decorative scoring, it's still advisable to have one "utility" score and then your more shallow, decorative scoring. The yeast has too much energy when it hits the oven and this excess energy causes a "rush" when your dough hits the oven. Method. When it comes to building the gluten, everyone has a different preference in how to do it. Preheat the oven to 230C fan/456F/gas mark 8 with a baking stone on the middle shelf and a deep tray on the bottom. A tough crust can also be caused by a lower hydration recipe. This will give the sourdough a chance to find new pockets of sugars and starches to consume. Shaping it and baking very shortly afterwards is recommended. Gently turn the dough out onto a separate floured flat baking tray (not preheated). Ensure that your dough is well fermented prior to shaping. If so, fix that, and try it with your standard bake temps/times, And then, if the problem persists, then add to the lower hydration the lower/longer bake temps/times, too. One should be sticky, and one should be dusted with flour. Im the face behind The Pantry Mama and I want to help you bake delicious sourdough bread, no matter what your schedule. Set aside. Classic Sourdough Bread made Easy - Lavender and Lovage If you want to you can spritz your dough with extra water before you put the lid on. Bread SOS Episode 5: STICKY / TACKY Sourdough Crumb - Bake with Jack Flour Cleaning: How to Clear the Dough After Baking - Food & Wine Use a very sharp knife to cut a cross shape into the top of the . It's possible that the dough is rising too much during the cold retard which will also cause this issue. This is really only an issue once you've done bulk fermentation and you are trying to shape your dough. PROBLEM - Sourdough bread dough deflates (like a balloon)when removed from the banneton and scored. The dough will develop further in strength becoming dry and workable, as it will be able to retain more moisture once it has gone through the bulk fermentation phase and the folding phase. Generally, flat loaves will still taste ok, they just lack that beautiful airiness we want to see in our sourdough. The uneven crumb occurs because fermentation has not been long enough to allow the gases produced by the yeast to evenly distribute, resulting in some larger holes (generally in the middle). This allows them to get an understanding of how to handle basic dough before moving onto something more tricky. You can read more about this, Take some time to strengthen your sourdough starter (particularly if it's been in the fridge for a while or it's doubling consistently). Sourdough differs from most bread in that it contains no baker's yeast, relying instead on a fermented "starter" of water and flour to provide lift. Scrape into a greased 9" x 4" x 4" pan; cover and let the loaf rise until it's within about 1" of the pan's rim, about 3 to 4 hours. When using the autolyse method which call for the initial incorporation of only flour and water without salt, we may sometimes forget to include salt in the final mixing phase. And then mix in the other ingredients and forge ahead. The loaf will also feel light in your hand, rather than heavy. Take the bowl off the scales and mix well, it will look rough and lumpy, but never fear it will soon start to look like bread dough! It has more energy than it should have left when it hits the oven - meaning you might get a great oven spring - but it destroys your scoring (and will more than likely be gummy inside).