January 11, 2024 - 10:04am
Flat loaves
My loaves stay flat. See picture.
According to The Sourdough Whisperer by Elaine Boddy, this is because they are overproofed. There are photos of what she says my dough would have looked like, but in fact my dough looks like the photos for underproofed loaves.
The starter is fine - I think. It doubled before I used it.
Any help welcome.
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I see conflicting signs, and you haven't provided much information. Usually if a loaf is underproofed or underfermented, the bottom sides will curve up much rounder than yours, the scoring will tend to burst open, and the top round or bulge upwards.
OTOH, the tight-looking crumb looks underfermented to me. As an aside, the whole loaf looks underbaked to me, going by the crust color and something intangible about the look of the crumb. But that might just be the photo and the lighting.
A failure to rise much during proofing and especially during the bake can also be caused by the yeast running out of food too soon - which can also happen when the fermentation has gone on too long for the dough. Or it can happen if the dough is starting to break down from too much enzyme action, which would partly depend on the flour and the fermentation time, as well as the starter condition (very acidic).
It would help knowing whether the shaped loaf changed its shape much during proof (or when dumped out of the proofing basket if one were used). If it had been underfermented it should have held its shape well, while a very overfermented loaf would probably have slumped sideways quite a bit. This would also depend on the hydration, although this bread looks like it did not have a high hydration.
How did you judge when enough proofing had taken place? There are several things one can go by.
TomP
Thank you. Yes it was under baked. If it had risen more I would have baked it longer but the crust was cooked all over. Even the splits where it was scored. They had expanded well.
I didn't dump it out, I lifted it out carefully to keep the ball shape and put it in the Dutch oven, where it held its shape. then scored it and put it in the oven at 220deg.
I judged it by keeping to the recipe I had. Pulled and stretched 4 times at 30min intervals. Then in the fridge for an hour. Then into a cold oven. Cooked for 40 mins at 220deg then 2 more lots of 5mins to improve the colour.
I used Canadian extra strong flour. Working room temp is 20deg.
I'm new at this game and have some failures and some OK successes but need to improve regularly.
I don't know what you used to leaven the dough, but if the only fermentation it had was two hours before the fridge, it sounds very underfermented to me. Even with commercial yeast that would most likely have been underfermented. Plus your room temperature is cool at 20C.
If - and it's a big if - the starter is ok - it is under. Mix well before proofing and the holes should even out. Enjoy!
Thank you