Dough Turns Brown and Smells Bad
I'm a newbie to sourdough and am on my 8th or 9th attempt yet I've had a really hard time to get a decent sourdough loaf. I believe my starter is strong, I feed it regularly and before I mix it in I always do the float test--and it does, even after a few minutes. Where I think I'm stuck is the bulk fermentation stage. My kitchen is usually fairly cool (70°F) so I get that it'll take time for the dough to get at least 1 1/2 times the size. But after 36 hours, it didn't quite get to 1 1/2 times (I put 1/4 cup of dough in a 1/2 cup measure so I could have an easier time telling). The dough smelled like nail polish with the top of the dough turning a brownish colour. The starter is at 100% hydration and I get the same sort of result whether I use unbleached all purpose flour or bread flour (I don't like whole wheat or rye).
With earlier attempts using shorter times, I always get a really sticky dough (even if I go up on the flour or down on the water) and so I get a flat, dense baked loaf. I'm determined to get it right but I'm running out of ideas...
Lynn
Like you I had problems making sourdough loaves. Until I stumbled upon Alex. I like to recommend him if you're new to sourdough. He's a good start, then you can expand on it.
It's a great explanation, easy to follow. And he's just so darn funny doing it. Good luck!
https://youtu.be/APEavQg8rMw
I love Alex's video, I pretty much know it by heart. I use his proportions (1:2:3) but I'm clearly not doing something right along the way...I really appreciate the response though, thanks!
If I had to venture guess, I'd focus on your starter being the culprit.
Lynn, I am with Breadlee. I make a sourdough loaf, and retard with 20% of the total being a starter ( 400 flour, 320 water, 89 starter ( at 75% ) and it doubles in size in 8 to 10 hours at 60F. So there is something wrong with your starter, or with the recipe. I use a straight sided container for bulk ferment, though your method works as well.
Thanks very much, I'm thinking of scraping my starter and making up a new batch but first I'll try your method.
Another one that may be beneficial is watching patrick ryan.. especially his starter instruction. Very simple.
https://youtu.be/2FVfJTGpXnU