December 6, 2012 - 5:12am
Hard and chewy sourdough bread
I recently baked some loaves with sourdough and a formula of 20% whole grain wheat, 5% whole grain rye and 75% bread four at a hydration of 70%. I placed the dough in the fridge overnight to develop flavour.
The bread has a really great, almost peppery sourdough flavour. However it did not turn out as I hoped it would. Firstly it didn't raise much, although I got a decent oven spring. The crumb is very dense although my starter seems to be active. Furthermore the bread has become really hard and chewy which is a shame since it tastes so good.
What seems to be the problem with my loaves and what can I do to get a softer, more airy bread?