Pizza using levain vs yeast
Hello all. Wanted to vent on my very frustrating attempts at pizza dough using my levain. And ask - where did it all go so wrong. This is the 3rd or 4th time I've tried to make my dough this way. Build levain, make high hydration(75%) dough using ap flour with small amt (10%) spelt flour, bulk ferment 3-4 hrs, divide and store in fridge 24 hrs. The dough rises, but not dramatically after baking BUT it tends to have a hard, somewhat gummy texture. In the past, I've used a pre-ferment biga with instant yeast and the same formula. I get much better results - crispy and chewy and much airier. What am I doing wrong?
also this last attempt was an especial bust because I was trying out my new baking steel and the dough stuck to the peel and turned into an utter fiasco. Grrr!
i would like to continue to use levain because it's a good way to use excess starter since we're not big on pancakes or muffins around here.
Thanks for any suggestions.