The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Uneven Crumb

jason.e.bakes's picture
jason.e.bakes

Uneven Crumb

I've been baking sourdough bread for about the past 3 months now, and overall, I'm pleased with the results of each loaf - decent rise, good taste, good crust, etc. However, in almost all of the loaves I've baked, I've noticed that the crumb is very uneven - usually a few large air pockets near the top, and a dense crumb otherwise. Any advice for how to fix this issue? The recipe I'm using is based on the 'Beginner's Sourdough' recipe from theperfectloaf.com, but I've adjusted it a bit so that the total flour = 1000g:

 

80% bread flour

20% whole grain flour

78% water

2% salt

20% levain

Levain build:

40g starter

40g bread flour

40g whole grain flour

80g water

I feed my starter twice daily on a 1:2:2 ratio, 15g starter to 30g AP flour to 30g water. When making the levain, I let it rise for 6-8 hours until doubled. I autolyse the bulk of the dough for 1 hour, then add the levain, salt, and 50g of water. 4 hour bulk fermentation with 3 stretch and folds, then preshape with 30 minute rest, then shape and overnight proof in fridge for 16 hours. Baked in stone bread cloche at 475F for 25 minutes, then uncovered for 25-30 minutes.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

algebread's picture
algebread

Crumb that is very uneven usually indicates underproofing.  Try letting your bulk run a bit longer, and keep in mind that the times for these things are very temperature-dependent.

jason.e.bakes's picture
jason.e.bakes

Thank you for the advice! I'll extend the bulk and see if that improves it.

lloydrm's picture
lloydrm

imo it might be that your starter is not strong/mature enough and/or you pressed, in some places more than others, the co2 out between the fridge and the oven.  

semolina_man's picture
semolina_man

Deflate by patting the dough prior to shaping.  A bit more proofing may also help.