I was ecstatic seeing this come out of the oven, but disappointed when I cut into it. The crumb still seems very dense and my knife is catching on the bread as I cut. How can my bread rise so nicely yet still look dense on the inside? This is my 14th loaf and any help would be appreciated!
450g KA bread flour, 300g water, 100g starter, 10g flaky salt
Mix, then rest for 30 mins, 4 rounds of stretch and folds every 30ish mins. Then left on counter for 30 min, shaped and then cold proofed for 11 hours in fridge.
Preheated Dutch oven at 450 for 1 hour. Baked at 450 for 20 min with lid on and 20 min with lid off.
Waited 2 hrs to cut.
by uhhhokaykara
26 Comments
So it only fermented at room temp for 2.5-3hrs? Unless your kitchen is 90 degrees, that’s most likely not nearly enough time.
I think she’s gorgeous! Probably needed a few more hours to bulk ferment on the counter 💗
Apart from in my taste a little underbaked crust besides thats a loaf that I would not be disappointed with.
As mentioned maybe longer bulk would give a more open crumb
Probably a bit under-fermented. Your kitchen must be hot though if 3hrs is enough to get it this far. Maybe increase to 5hrs and see what happens.
For the bake: you can probably get away with only a 30min preheat (unless your oven really sucks). I’d recommend increasing to 30 mins covered, sticking with your 20 mins uncovered, and then adding 20 mins with oven door cracked and oven turned off. This will help with developing your crust and reducing the gummy texture a bit (I’m told it’s a common bakery trick).
This loaf looks good. Here’s some things to contemplate for loaf #15. Hope this helps!
1. Extend room temp proof before fridge (30 min after shaping isn’t enough).
2. Let dough sit out 30–60 min after cold proof before baking.
3. Use a thermometer, bake until at least 205°F internal temp.
4. Double-check starter activity and fermentation signs. I agree with the other commenters it looks like there was fermentation just not quite enough to get the results you were looking for.
Edit:
I left out a sentence: I let the dough bulk ferment for 2.5 hours after the stretch and folds, then left it on the counter for 30 more min to develop a skin before shaping and cold proofing.
Without even reading your caption I thought it looked underproof now to see what you said and how long you bulk ferment it definitely was not BF for long enough
Apart from needing more time in the oven uncovered to get some browning, that looks perfect to me?
Do you want your bread to have giant holes that make it useless for anything but dipping in olive oil?
Try 500g flour, 350g h20, 110-300g starter and 8-10g salt. Do this in the evening, give it more time to rise on the counter, then in the fridge overnight. Bake in the morning. Don’t worry about temp, just make sure it doubles during bulk rise.
After the stretch and folds, I leave mine on my counter for two hours then I shape and pull it once let it sit for a half an hour then shape and pull it again for the final shape Put them in the baskets (upside down) and then in the fridge overnight. Try that that might help.
Just looks under cooked
The hydration looks a little low but really I think you’re under baking it. I do 450F for 30min covered & then 425F lid off for 10-15min. Everyone’s oven is different, my sister does 500F for 20min and then drops to 450F for 20min (we use the same starter and same recipe)
Nothing! We are all proud of you!
It looks a bit underbaked. I bake at 475°F with the lid on for 30 minutes. I have a thermometer in the oven to ensure it gets to temperature. Then, decrease to 425° and take off the lid for 20 minutes.
If you want a more open crumb you need more hydration. Try adding 40-50 grams more water. Keep in mind the more hydration the stronger (more protein) your flour needs to be.
I think that loaf is beautiful 😍
I think it looks great but just needs a bit more time in the oven. Honestly most people would be thrilled with this loaf. If you want a more open crumb, you’d need a higher hydration and gentle handling.
I think your loaf is perfect by my standards; crust could use a bit more time in an open Dutch but it’s what I strive for in my loafs. How’s your knife? Is it older and needing replaced or sharpened?
I don’t see the problem 🤷🏾♀️🧐
Dramatically underbaked… if I saw this in the oven I’d come back in 15 minutes
Did you bake it at all with the lid off? It’s lookin pretty ghostly.
How long of bulk ferment on the counter is too long? I know it would very on temperature as well but in theory wondering if im not BF enough
Great loaf! A few comments though.
It is a bit under fermented and definitely needs more browning. I would blast it in the oven for at least 10 more minutes at 230C/445F (checking after 5 minutes).
Bake it longer
that doesnt look bad at all. if its bigger bubbles you want ferment it for much longer
I’d do 20-25 mins lid on/off time and see how the crust looks. I personally do 30/30…and the crust is always perfect at 450 with 1 hr preheat. I put a cookie sheet under my Dutch oven when I take the lid off so the bottom doesn’t burn. Have had great crust & “doneness” results consistently since making that change as well.
PS- consider a simple hanging oven thermometer…make sure your oven temp is set correctly.
Try adding a bit more water… I suggest 25g. The higher the hydration, the more open the crumb will be. If your starter is fed at a 1:1:1 ratio and you’re adding 100g of it to your dough, then your water for a 450g loaf should be 325g to achieve 75% hydration.
Right now with your current recipe, you’re hitting 70% hydration…which is fine, but try adding more water and see if that helps out!