May 11, 2020 - 6:06am
Overproofed?
Hi, I'm new to sourdough making.
In my first attempt, the bread turned out with just some really big air pockets in the middle and dense all around. I researched and found that it was because I might have underproofed my dough.
So this time I extended the bulk fermentation to 8-9 h, plus 12 h overnight in the fridge. In the oven it didnt mantain its shape whatsoever, it flattened out and I ended up with a cake shaped bread. It tastes good, no odd sour notes.
I would like to know what you think :) Thanks in advance.
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8-9 hours could be a veeeeery long bulk, depending on other factors.. which you haven’t told us!
What formula and method are you using? (Don’t leave out dough ambient temps, cause that makes a huge difference)
Hi, the room temperature was about 18-20°C, and my fridge tempetarure was 3°C.
I used the following (1-2-3 ratio)
420 g Bread flour
280 g Water
140 g of starter (12 h old)
I first mixed the flour, water and starter, and let it rest for 30 min. I then added 8 g of salt, and started the stretch and folds. I did about 4-5 sets every 30 min, and I left in inside my oven to proof. At night after about 9 hours from the start of the process, I shaped it and left it in the fridge overnight.
I know you are supposed to let it bulk for 4-5 hours, but since in my other attempt I underproofed it, I thought the low temperature was the issue.
Thank you for this detailed report! (No really, this is great, and the only way to learn)
I have never made a loaf quite like this. The levain percentage is higher than I’ve used before BUT the temperature is also lower.
In fact I think the low temp is a problem. 18-20 is too low to see the kind of activity you want. It may be possible, sure, but especially if you’re new to this, let’s get some success under you belt!
I would try to bulk at no lower than 24° (75°F). Is that possible to work out in your home? I’ve had success leaving dough in the microwave, perhaps with a small pot of hot water inside.
Also, there is the question of your starter.
If your starter is taking 12 hours to peak, it is probably not active enough. Get your starter to double in half that, and you will be more successful.
Thanks for the response, I will definitely try to do my next bulk with hot water next to it. I live in Barcelona, so temperature will not be an issue in a month or two...
As for my starter, its about 3 weeks old and its all white bread flour. I fed it the night before to double in size, and I used it in the morning. So it was 12 h old when I used it, but it might have doubled before that (although I didn't see signs of deflation at 12h).
I'm thinking I'll do a 3-4h bulk and 3-4 h proof (bake the same day) this weekend, see if that helps.
If anything, I’d lengthen that bulk and shorten the proof. Generally your proof will be shorter than your bulk
Hi, I just wanted to update you with my recent loaf. I decided to bulk for 4 hours and proof for another 4. Here's the result.
IMG_20200518_211103.jpg
Are you happy with this? It looks like a pretty big improvement from your last one. How was the dough to handle? How was the bread to eat? How did you decide when to stop bulk?
Hi, yes I'm pretty happy with it. After the previous failures it was nice to get a semi decent loaf. I tried to bake the same day without a retarded proof. I shaped around the 4 hour mark, no real reason why. Dough was pretty airy when I did. I also like the taste of the bread. What would you suggest for my next attempt?
I usually recommend that people make the same bread at least a few times in a row when they first have a success. That way you will start to get a feel for how a successful dough looks, feels, and handles. I also suggest that you do your bulk fermentation in a transparent-sided container so you can keep an eye on the bubble formation. That is a big help for judging when the dough is ripe and ready for the next step. If you don't have/can't get that, you can cut a chunk of the dough off and put in in a glass jar and set it next to your bulk ferment bowl. It will be a sort of indicator for how the bulk ferment is progressing.
I used a transparent bowl for my bulk. I saw some bubbles but nothing crazy. I can only bake on weekends, cause I have class during the week, but I'll try to replicate the process I did. Would you say the loaf needed more fermentation? I think it could be more airy and not as dense , but I didn't wanna risk overfermenting like last time.