please help me trouble shoot my loaf
Hi,
I am a new sourdough baker. This is the picture of my bread I would like some help with, namely why it is so flat and has a uneven holes.
I have recently created a 100% hydration rye starter, which I was feeding on the counter top up until a few days ago, when I started storing it in the fridge. My starter, fed at 1:2:2 peaks and begins to subside in about 14 hours. I let it do most of the rise before moving it to fridge.
I use Jovial all purpose einkorn flour for my bread and I bought their cookbook to get myself started. The cookbook recommends einkorn starter and so does Carla, the Jovial owner and the author of the cookbook on their forum. I tried to convert my rye starter to einkorn, but it seemed not as active and I abandoned the attempt. Maybe I should have persisted, but most internet sources say rye should work for everything and is easier. I also come from the rye region of the planet, so rye starter feel closer to my heart :) Einkorn starter recipe from Jovial also is 50% hydration and uses a much smaller innoculation percentage than what I have used so far, so this big change is intimidating to me. Also Jovial einkorn starter is expected to peak under 5 hours.
Anyway, at first I was struggling with my starter to get it up to speed and used longer proof times to compensate for it being so new, then I noticed my starter picked up speed and my loaf became over proofed/sour.
For my last loaf, pictured here, I used less proofing time. My recipe requires einkorn levain (30:125:125) developed over 6 - 10 hours, 3 stretch and folds over 1 hour, then 3 - 5 hours bulk fermentation and 60 - 90 min final proof.
I first left my levain overnight, but after 9.5 hours I saw no bubbles at all. It did smell/taste sour and changed consistency to more liquid/puffy. I thought it was over proofed and started again during the day, This time I waited for 8.5 hours and saw very few bubbles. I tried to stir it and then it got all bubbly on top. Is that normal? This is the step that I suspect the most. I decided to use it at that point, so mixed the dough, stetch/folded as directed and during bulk fermentation it seemed to double in just 3 hours, looked puffy and even had a few visible bubbles, which I didn't expect. Does it mean I am wrong about levain? It did make the bulk phase go well?
At that point I shaped by boule and moved into a banneton for an hour. At the end of the hour I did a poke test. Since I am still new to it, I can definitely say the indentation stayed, but I am not sure if it half rebounded or possibly less. There was some rebound to it, not necessarily half. I moved it to 500F preheated dutch oven and baked for 40 min on 450F and a couple more minutes after removing the lid.
I was trying to get help from Jovial forum, but they want me to convert my starter. Should I just do it or is there a shorter way to success if I stick with the rye? I don't want to convert unless I have to, but I am not sure what else to try next?
I should mention my bread tastes pretty good, although it is a little too sour for my taste and slightly gummy.
Thank you,
Nataly