Hello! This is my first post and I'm desperate for some answers about my breads! I've been baking for about 9 months with the same starter and I've had some really fabulous results but lately...it's been a mess. Loaves with big bubbles in the crust, huge irregular holes in the crumb, and the scoring always "reseals" so there's never an ear. I've changed every variable I can think of: ratio of whole grain flour to bread flour, fresh milled vs store bought, refrigerated 12 hr proof vs 3 hr room temp, long ferments vs short, long proofs vs short proofs, etc. All these loaves look to be over proofed but I have done super short 1 hour proofs as well as overnight proofs in the fridge and they all turn out the same.
The only thing that I can think of is that my starter is messed up? I've been feeding it religiously every 12 hours but it hasn't seemed to help! Any thoughts???
...it's the problem. Do you monitor dough, starter and water temperatures? Do you work to a Desired Dough Temperature formula? When you say "room temp", what exactly do you mean? I ask because this could be something as simple as seasonal temperature changes. What rises and bakes beautifully in the summer, can, without consistent temperature control, be depressingly flat in the winter.
I haven't ever monitored the temps but I guess I should start. I've never heard of the desired dough temperature formula but I will definitely look it up! My apartment is a bit on the colder side so I always do the poke test to see if it's done proofing, but when I go to flip it out of the banneton, it spreads as if it's over proofed. But thanks! I will look into your suggestions!
'Bread' is the best reference. It's the best modern artisinal bread book full stop. Or look up 'desired dough temperature' in the search bar here on TFL. You'll get some poor explanations as well as excellent posts describing it. But read enough of them and you'll be on your way.
There are so many reasons you could end up with the results you have. It's only by knowing what's gone on in each step of the baking process that you can easily identify a problem. Things like dough temperature, hydration levels, flour protein percentages etc. might sound overly technical but they're not complex (we are bakers after all, not rocket engineers) and mastering them gives you the ability to bake good loaves again and again.
Sounds like under proofing to me. Usually caused by a sleepy starter. Or a cold bulk ferment and sleepy starter. Or cold water. Whatever the cause, it's under proofing. If you showed me the inside, I could tell you for sure.