Sticky/Gummy Crumb 100% Rye Sourdough
After about a month or so baking wheat and spelt sourdough breads I wanted to try a 100% rye loaf. I have experimented in the past adding in a bit of rye to my wheat breads and it was ok. This week I tried a recipe I found on this forum, but can no longer find the thread.
I followed this recipe -> https://myvintagecooking.com/finnish-rye-sourdough/?unapproved=528&moderation-hash=aac33f5c61e44ce1eecafccd3ef149e5#comment-528
pretty much to the letter and the bread looks right, tastes right, but the whole crumb is uniformly sticky/gummy. Before making this thread I found a few other threads on the internet that say perhaps my sour wasn't sour enough or perhaps I didn't wait long enough to cut it open. We let the loaves sit undisturbed on a shelf for 28+ hours, one wrapped in a tea towel and one in plastic zip bag. The towel loaf has a crisp crust and the other loaf is softer since it was in the plastic bag. Otherwise the crumb in both loaves are identical. I fed the sour daily for three days leaving it out on my counter as the instructions state. Deviating slightly I put the sour into the fridge over night on the third night and left it out on the counter all day on the four day before baking around 1800 the evening of the fourth day.
Any tips or advise?
After toasting a piece my wife mentions it's like dark rye, which it is 100% whole sprouted rye flour, which I probably should have mentioned as well. Maybe this is the appropriate crumb and I should adjust my expectations having probably never had real rye bread before.
This looks about right to me for a rye loaf. Rye flour is different from whole wheat and behaves differently. Also, the freshly baked loaves should rest on the counter on a rack for many hours before you cover them or put them in a bag as this will trap moisture.
Thank you. I'm pretty sure I left them out on trivets (don't have a wire rack yet) over night before wrapping them. Should I let them rest without wraping for the whole 28+ hr resting time? This is very new to me, so I appreciate your insight.
Not being a huge rye bread fan, I've never actually baked a loaf. However, I believe there is likely a lot of helpful information on this site if you search by 'rye'. For other bread loaves, I usually bake in the morning and let them rest all day before placing in a cotton bag that night (what doesn't get eaten). I'm not familiar with the particular resting times you mention for the rye recipe though.
Yeah, that's anything but normal.
I don't know if it is relevant, but I am baking in a wood fired cook stove. The oven is not vented to the room like an electric or gas oven, so unless I open the door during baking the moisture stays in the oven the whole time.
Your starter was not strong/acidic enough and/or the dough was underfermented.