Hello - my sourdough isn't rising. The texture and taste is great but it expands outwards rather than inwards. Here's what I'm doing:
1. 400g flour, 320g water - autolyze for 45 mins
2. Add 160g of levain
3. Mix - it definitely feels very wet at this point but I keep going
4. Let rise for 3hrs. It rises quite a lot with lots of air bubbles
5. Shape and place to prove for 3hrs in a kitchen towel
6. Bake for 25 mins with lid, 25 mins without lid at 475
I think my dough might be too wet? When I take it out from step 5 to put it in the baking tray it's a struggle. The dough sticks to every thing and is very stringy. Could I be overprooving it?
Thanks for your help!
What flour is in the dough?
If rye, then 83% water in the dough is about right. If not rye, then yes, it could very well be there is too much water in the dough. (400g H2O/ 480g flour = 0,83 ...x 100 = 83% hydration). How much salt is in the dough?
Are any "stretch &fold" steps added during the bulk rise to restore the dough integrity?
Thanks for your help!
I'm using hard whole wheat flour. No, I don't have any folding steps.
I was using this recipe as a base and upped to water content. I'm thinking that if the hydration rate is higher, the fold steps are needed - would that make sense?
I'm tryin again today with 75% hydration and adding folding steps. Fingers crossed!
but I am willing to bet that it wasn't a whole wheat only recipe. Compare to some of the 100% whole wheat sourdough recipes scattered around TFL you may have to develop gluten for a few hours before adding the sourdough culture. I think anything over 65% hydration will require a fold or more as hydration rises.
I'll cross my fingers too for you and wish you the best.