The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Open but gummy crumb?

The Almighty Loaf's picture
The Almighty Loaf

Open but gummy crumb?


As a beginner sourdough baker, after months and months of utter failures, I thought I finally might have made a successful loaf when this one came out of the oven. The oven spring looked pretty good, nothing spectacular but good for a beginner, and I liked the crust for the most part. However, I noticed that the loaf felt small (the recipe was for a pretty small loaf but this one seemed too much so) and dense. After letting it sit overnight to cool, I cut it open and was happy with what I saw at first—again, not a hugely open crumb but acceptable by me—yet the crumb looked wet and shiny. Biting into it, the texture was rubbery and had little flavor. I don’t know where I’m going wrong since my loaf doesn’t seem to match any of the physical descriptions I find online for “underproofed” or “overproofed” or “inactive starter” loafs so any input would be appreciated. The recipe I used was exactly that of the “Basic Open Crumb Sourdough Loaf” by the YouTube channel Full Proof Baking. 
BaniJP's picture
BaniJP

Sourdough bread always is a bit sticky and shiny on the inside. So to some extent that's normal. If your crumb is overly stick or rubbery it's either underbaked or you cut it when it was still warm.

Your bread has great crust and open crumb with a very nice oven spring, so there is nothing wrong with your starter or the recipe. It's difficult to spot anything wrong with it...but there seem to be some lighter spots around the edge. Maybe it was underbaked a little...how hot was your oven?

The Almighty Loaf's picture
The Almighty Loaf

Thanks for the reply! I used a Dutch oven for this loaf preheated to 500 degrees an hour before baking. After 20 minutes, the lid was removed and the oven temperature was lowered to 450. My oven tends to run hot so I doubt it was the oven temperature but who knows. I also noticed that lighter spot on the end of the loaf and I think it might have to do with how the dough was somewhat curling up against the wall of the Dutch oven so it might have baked unevenly. I also shaped my loaf reeaaallly badly so that probably didn’t help lol.

GrinChaser's picture
GrinChaser

Certainly hard to find fault with this gorgeous loaf! Well done!

Did your formula have a lot of bread flour? I find that can tend to contribute to gumminess. Cutting into it too soon can also result in some wetness/gumminess.

The Almighty Loaf's picture
The Almighty Loaf

Aww, thank you! I will say that I have made huge strides from when I first started baking sourdough so I can at least recognize this loaf as a step in the right direction.

The recipe called for 78.46% bread flour and 21.54% whole wheat flour. I used North Dakota Mill brand bread flour at 12.6% protein, although the recipe doesn’t specify any protein percentage. 

Honestly, I’m wondering at this point if I just underbaked it or something. Oh well, at least it’s good toasted.

idaveindy's picture
idaveindy

 500 F might be too hot for an all white flour loaf, especially if your oven is actually hotter.  A too hot oven  will make the crust "done" before the inside is done cooking off enough moisture.

Preheating to 500 is okay, but if you want a "less wet" interior, bake at 450 during the covered portion of the bake, and 430-450  during the uncovered portion.  This will likely necessitate a slightly longer bake in order to get the desired inner temp.  (I always use a needle style thermometer and bake until internal temp is 209-210 F for my high hydration mostly whole-wheat loaves.)

Your loaf does look great.

The Almighty Loaf's picture
The Almighty Loaf

Interesting! I did consider using a thermometer to check the doneness of my loaf but was ultimately too lazy (and eager to it out). I think I‘ll try it for the next bake to be absolutely sure that it’s done, and once I’m confident that all other variables are controlled for, I’ll probably experiment with the oven temperature as you stated. Thank you for the advice!

AGGut's picture
AGGut

Do you check your loaf temperature with a thermometer before taking it out  of the oven?  I like to make sure it is at least 204°.  I think I have seen 208° recommended for the Tartine Oat porridge bread. 

I love the blistering on your crust, what did you do in  the way of oven temps, spritzing, steaming or covering?

The Almighty Loaf's picture
The Almighty Loaf

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I was really surprised how many lovely blisters on the crust there were, I loved them! I used a cast iron Dutch oven to bake this since my oven is really small so other attempts at steaming/covering have been largely unsuccessful. It seems to have worked out really well though so I’ll think I’ll continue this method.

DanAyo's picture
DanAyo

GurlyTroll, you are an obvious perfectionist. It takes one to know one :-)

Your bread is gorgeous! Great bloom, nice color, and those blisters... The crumb is very nice, also. I bet you, if that bread was another baker’s post and his or her bread, that you would consider it in a different light. “It’s Beautiful”.

If the dough was not under baked, then the baker (GrinChaser) that mentioned the flour gets my vote. I have seen particular flours, most often higher protein) that lack taste and are somewhat rubbery.

Ovens and most everything else varies from house to house. Ovens are notoriously different. My oven consistently bakes bread in 21-23 minutes where the instructions state 35 minutes or more. Here is an article that Teresa Greenway just published. It may interest you. https://thebakingnetwork.com/baking-suggestions/

Danny

I am actually envious of those blisters...

The Almighty Loaf's picture
The Almighty Loaf

Thank you for the kind words! Oh yes, I am very well aware of my perfectionism haha, and it’s something I think bread baking will help me overcome a bit by teaching me to learn from mistakes. That’s interesting, I never considered that it might the brand of flour contributing to the final loaf. Do you have any recommendations for good quality bread flour for sourdough? I usually just get the first stuff off the shelf hehe...

Also, thank you for the article link, I look forward to reading it!

GrinChaser's picture
GrinChaser

To clarify about bread flour possibly contributing to gumminess, I didn't mean try a different brand of bread flour - I meant try subbing All Purpose Flour for some of the bread flour. I picked up this notion from Maurizio Leo's excellent blog: theperfectloaf.com. I believe he mentions this in his post for Beginner's Sourdough.

I think DanAyo is spot on too - it might just need a longer less hot bake. Good luck and please do keep us posted on how it goes!

GrinChaser's picture
GrinChaser

not DanAyo, although he will certainly not lead you astray either. 

The Almighty Loaf's picture
The Almighty Loaf

Ahh, that makes sense! I do love Maurizio's blog and I have heard him talk about using AP flour in place of some bread flour but I've always figured that a beginner like me would probably completely screw things up lol. But I do definitely want to experiment with recipes once I feel confident with my technique (especially with telling when the dough is done fermenting/proofing). Thanks!