No matter what I do, I can't seem to get rid of the "gumminess/stickiness" of my crumb. I bake longer: I get stickiness. I bake hotter: I get stickiness. I wait five, six hours before slicing my loaf after cooking: I get stickiness. What the heck am I doing wrong? I use my trusty levain, hydration of 78%...I can put all of the ingredients down, but I'm completely at a loss and it is SOOOOO frustrating. Any help or suggestions would be most appreciated! Thank you!
First - use less water.
Second is the starter - which is tough to tell. My bet is the starter. But At least the two may help. I should note - without detailed info help can be difficult. Enjoy!
I second the suggestion that your starter is the culprit, I don't think it's related to your hydration as 78% isn't that high. What is your feeding/storage of your starter in the days/week leading up to your final mix and bake? What is your flour?