I have been chugging along merrily baking all of my family’s bread for some years now. This is a 68% hydration loaf ( Cindy Hall’s Same Day Sourdough formula) that I assembled yesterday whrn it was hot and humid here in British Columbia. BF was waybshorter than usual and I did 24 hour secondary ferment in fridge. Baked from fridge as usual with steam. I’ve never retarded this long. Might that have been the problem? Thank you
The crumb appears to be generally under-aerated, a sign of under-fermentation. The very large holes are due to gluten breakdown due to over-proofing as is the pale crust and poor oven-spring.
Now, there are alternate explanations for each "symptom." My diagnosis is based on the most likely causes.
David
I like your explanations David
David is much more experienced than I am, but my understanding from reading and my own experience is that tight crumb accompanied by large holes is a sign of under-proofing. I don't see how something could be under- and over-proofed at the same time. Perhaps I'm missing something. Here are some other examples and a guideline.
https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/troubleshoot-bad-bread-messed-up-loaf.html
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/49425/giant-holes-crumb%E2%80%94im-confused
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/50726/oblong-loaf-has-huge-holes-and-dense-middle
The initial fermentation, after mixing and before dividing the dough to form loaves, is called "bulk fermentation. " I think the pictured loaf was not fermented long enough, most likely. The OP revealed the BF was shorter than planned. An insufficiently active starter can result in a similar effect. So can over-zealous degassing during loaf shaping.
The second fermentation, after the loaves are formed, is called "proofing." I think this loaf was proofed too long.
Note that the first problem is with fermentation which generates CO2 and inflates the alveoli in the crumb. The second problem is due to enzymatic action, a very different process. Proteases (enzymes that target proteins, such as gluten) break down long protein strands into shorter strands and amino acids. The walls of the alveoli are made of gluten. When they are digested, little holes become big holes. It's kind of like what happens in your lungs with emphysema. But we won't go there.
David
Yes, I've been using "under-proofed" to mean one or the other or both. Thanks for the clarification.
Thank you dmsnyder! As an aside, you suggested I move on to the Norwich SD from a beginner recipe years ago. The Norwich formula has remained my 'go-to'.
I should mention that I was fooled by pulling a window pane in the dough once it had almost doubled. The pane was perfect.
What is your best clue of when BF is done? Doubling, the appearance of bubbles, the feel of the dough?
Thanks again
PS: I just love the image of alveoli in the gluten. I'd not come across this description before