Sourdough Critique and Help Request for Better Crumb
Hey, everyone. I'm probably just like the many other new people here that have gone down the rabbit hole of sourdough baking given the environment outside. I've been browsing the forum and scouring other resources quite a bit before getting started. I just finished my second loaf today and I'm pretty happy but there's still more I want to improve about it. The oven spring is nice, crust is fantastic, but the crumb texture is still a little dense for my liking. In the first cross section, it looks pretty open but I suspect those large alveoli are "false" and may have been incorporated during folding given their oblong shape.
Looking different axis cross section, it's a lot more dense.
I know there are an infinite amount of variables but I was hoping to discuss my next steps because I'm not sure where I want to tweak my approach from here. This is what I did:
90% AP flour (I know, I know but bread flour is sold out everywhere so I'm making due with what I have)
10% whole wheat
70% hydration
2% salt
20% levain (7 hours, built from whole wheat starter at a 1:3:3)
Apartment was at 72F throughout the day.
1.5 hour autolyse
add levain then 5min rubaud knead
30 min rest
add salt then 5min rubaud knead
45 minute rest
laminate
5 coil folds for a total bulk fermentation of 5 hours
shape
13 hour cold retard
500F steam bake for 20min, then 450F uncovered until done
I was originally aiming for a 6 hour bulk but based on the finger test, my dough seemed to be fully proofed so I squeezed in a last minute coil fold to strengthen the little gluten I had with AP flour at got it in the fridge.
-Given that alveoli is pretty much dependent on fermentation, I'm thinking of changing my levain build to 1:2:2 in the hopes of having more active yeast. I noticed my previous levain rises more slowly compared to when I feed my starter at 1:1:1.
-Maybe I'll mix the levain with the flour initially during autolyse to get the fermentation going or would that risk completing proofing before gluten development is complete?
-Maybe I'll also throw the dough in the fridge sooner? Maybe I accidentally overproofed my dough because if it was done at room temperature, maybe my fridge didn't cool it quickly enough resulting in continued fermentation?
What are some other tweaks you may suggest? Thanks!
If I’d produced that on my second attempt, I’d have been ecstatic LoL!
I think you could go for a little longer bulk, but meh... it’s not a competition :-) just enjoy your excellent bread.
if you do want to fiddle with it, change ONE factor at a time and keep copious notes - that’s really important
Thanks for the tip! I'll try to keep the changes streamlined.
At a temperature of only 72ºF 20% levain and 5 hours bulk I’d say that your dough was a bit underproofed. If you used your levain when it had peaked and the crown was just starting to flatten, then there is no reason to change what you’re doing with the levain build. I would try to find a warmer place in your kitchen for the bulk fermentation if you want your dough more fully fermented in 5 hours though.
That being said, I think that is quite a good result with a stellar oven spring a wonderful ear for a second bake. I can say my second bake which was maybe 11 months ago didn’t look as good.
Benny
The crown wasn't starting to flatten yet so I may have used it prematurely. I guess I was afraid if I waited for it to dip, then I may have passed the peak of its activity. Underproofed seems to be the consensus here so I'll push the bulk fermentation longer and/or at higher temperature during the next bake. Thanks for the tip!
Crumb looks underfermented to me. Give it more time!
Meaning
1. Bulk for longer
2. Your starter isn't as active as it could be. Perhaps get it on a twice daily feeding schedule and then see how you do?
Also, ain't nothing wrong with using AP flour for bread! It's basically a made up distinction. You could also try including more whole grain in your levain build. You'll definitely see more/faster fermentation that way
Thanks for the critique! Yeah, I may have rushed the starter a little bit. It came out of the fridge about 1.5 days in advance with twice a day feedings. Probably needed some more time to rejuvenate.
My first sourdough loaves looked just like that, and it was a lack of fermentation. Increase the temperature if you can, try 80F and increase the ferment to 30%. How much had it risen by in the first rise?
Thanks! It was a little hard to judge the rise with the repeated folds throughout the bulk. I'm guessing about 1.5x?
That doesn't sound enough - I would leave it longer. It might be easier to monitor progress for now if you do your folds at the beginning of the fermentation.
Just wanted to post up some results of my last bake so if anyone else who has these same issues know what to do. As everyone said, I just needed to proof it longer. The crumb is finally chewy without feeling gummy. Proofed for 5h40min at 77-78F. Still room for improvement but the bread is a lot more enjoyable now.
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