The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Overproofed?

Jay's picture
Jay

Overproofed?

I gave this recipe a try a couple days ago: https://www.weekendbakery.com/posts/our-version-of-tartine-style-bread/

Followed it almost exactly, except I replaced he WW flour with a mixture of rye and spelt, b/c my family prefers the flavor... and I got derailed by a minor family emergency in what should have been the last half hour of the final proof and it ended up the last two hours of he final proof instead. So I'm pretty sure the results I ended up with are the result of being overproofed, but I wanted to ask here in case someone with more experience can point to any other possible error. 

Basically, the loaves clearly started to get a good oven spring while steaming under a lid, based on the way the scores opened up, but then look to have partially collapsed and spread out instead before the lid came off. 

    

I'm still remarkably happy with the crumb, even the denser spots are very tender and it's disappearing like crazy. 

Does this look to be an overproofing issue or possibly some other aspect of my dough handling is my only big question. I'm proooobably going to try the recipe again tomorrow, either that or Maurizio's 'best sourdough recipe' and just want to make sure I have some idea what to be paying attention to going forward. 

Thanks all!

Jay 

JeremyCherfas's picture
JeremyCherfas

I've never had a loaf spread after the lid opening on a Dutch oven. After 20-25 minutes (you don't say how long) at 220 °C the loaf will have essentially set. My guess is that the loaf did not have enough structure, and actually spread as soon as it got into the oven. But because it was well proofed, it contained enough gas to give it a good oven spring. So, your slash opened up at the same time as your loaf spread out -- the classic race between spring and set -- which spring would have won more definitively had the structure been better.

Jay's picture
Jay

So working the dough more might have helped? More stretch and folds while bulking, maybe? Or would it have been a problem in the final shaping, maybe? I tried to get a good, tight skin on it, but it was very very soft dough.

Also, the thing that made me think it rose and then started to fall while still under the lid was something that doesn't really show up in any of the pictures, but all three loaves had, which was a  place where the bread around it was much more risen around a depression that looks like it sank. Right around the middle of where it had been scored and opened up. 

Thanks for the response, though, I will definitely focus more on how I'm working structure into the dough.

JeremyCherfas's picture
JeremyCherfas

Maybe more stretch and fold would have helped. The clue about the tighter crumb around the slash could mean that it did indeed sink after opening up. I've just never seen that myself, but it could have been the case.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

I found it better to brush off any flour and give the dough a reshape, seal well and let it rise again.  This time watch it very closely as it will be fast.

Jay's picture
Jay

I didn't even think of that, and I really should have. Thanks so much!