January 1, 2014 - 4:31am
Rubbery and Chewy White Sourdough Loaf
Hello Bakers, I wonder if you can help, I am making progress with my sourdough bread making and have made a number of lovely brown loafs, but when I make a white loaf, the centre of the bread is rubbery and chewy. It also has the taste of crumpets.
I used the Dan Lepard recipe and quantities for white bread. The dough proved ok and I did the 2nd prove in the fridge over night. I cook it on my new baking stone at 210 C for 50 ish min and it had a lovely crust, but as I said very rubbery inside.
Could anyone provide me with some help on what I am doing wrong?
Thanks
Richard
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210C (410F) is not too hot to bake bread at but I wonder if the placement of the elements is baking the top of the loaf too quickly before the inside is done.
Since you mention an overnight retard in the fridge-Another thought is that the inside of the dough is cold when it is put into the oven and just not baking as fast as the warmer outside. Try letting it sit at room temp a bit longer before putting it in the oven. Check the fridge temp to see how low it goes.
Delicious baking to you!
So what you are saying is that if I left it in the oven for more time, the inside consistency would change and improve?
My Oven is a fan oven with the heating element at the back and I took the dough out of the fridge 1.5 hours before putting in the oven.
Thanks for the suggestions.
My first white sour dough loaves were exactly as you describe. Baking for longer and/or hotter worked for me. The middle was just not properly cooked. Most recipes call for 225-250 degrees at least for the first twenty to thirty minutes.
I preheat to 500 F. When the dough goes in the oven I immediately turn the heat down to 435 F. Bake for 35 minutes and the middle of the loaf hits 210 F every time.
I think you need to let the dough warm up more before you bake it. Check the temp with an instant read thermometer. I'll bet you'll find that the inside is still cold.
You don't say what type of bread you're making, so I'll presume a lean dough made with bread or other strong gluten flour. If by brown you mean whole wheat or rye added to a white flour base, then remember that those will reduce the strength of the gluten by dilution and-or by the bran cutting the gluten strands. When you go to plain white bread, the gluten will make itself more apparent in the form of chewiness (which I like). Since you would prefer it less chewy, switch to AP flour either wholly or proportionately. You may also reduce the gluten development by kneading less; drawing a less thin window pane.
cheers,
gary
Hi Gary, the bread i was making was a white sourdough bread made with Canadian Strong Flour, 400g White Flour, 160g Starter, 260g Water and 10g Salt. I used the Dan Lepard method of short kneading and resting.
The brown loaf was a wholewheat loaf with 75% Wholewheat flour and 25% Strong Flour. Both loafs where made using the same method and cooked about the same way.
75% WW is just not going to have as much gluten development and strength as all strong white flour. I'm not conversant with the Lepard method, so will only suggest keeping the method and going to all purpose flour, or eliminate one or more of the knead/rest cycles.
The rest+knead+rest... gives you very strong development due primarily to the rest periods. The stretching or kneading then simply redistributes nutrients and organizes the gluten strands. Reinhart's stretch and fold method only kneads the dough four times for about two minutes or less total time mixed with 30-40 minutes rest. It develops an very strong gluten.
cheers,
gary