January 26, 2019 - 5:07am
My first sourdough- please critique
He's the crumb shot of my first sourdough loaf! I had so much fun making it and it tasted great. I think there's much room for improvement though and looking for some advice.
Why the big air bubbles at top? Also, it was slightly gummy/shiny inside. Does that mean it's over proofed or under cooked? And the crust was a little harder than I desire. Anything that can be done about that? Used Tartine country bread recipe as close as I could.
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...and gummy, are not the same thing, nor do they need to happen together. A sort of shine inside can simply come from well-developed gluten. But then again, there's probably more than one kind of shine. ?
Since you say you used the recipe as close as you could, what changes did you have to make? Some changes matter a lot; other changes are not very important.
...as I can at your photo, it does look possibly underdone in there, but I'm terrible with photos.
It's not always so simple, but "overdone crust, underdone crumb" can possibly mean "just reduce the temperature a bit, and increase the time a bit". If only it were just that simple - but it's worth a try.
Not firing on all cylinders or the bulk ferment wasn't done properly. Either way I think it looks under fermented. Bread baking is all about timing! Judging when a starter/levain is ready to use, or when the bulk ferment and final proofing is done will solve this.
Large uneven holes and dense elsewhere with gumminess normally means under.
You said you followed the recipe as close as you could. This tells me you watched the clock! And not the dough. What you wish to lookout for is an areated billowy dough that has a good matrix of bubbles. Getting to know when it's done comes with time and practice. May I suggest you try a different recipe? Something like this?