Ingredients:
500g all purpose white flour
350ml water
150g sourdough starter
10g salt
Process:
– Mixed flour, water, starter and covered w damp cloth to rest for 30 min
– added salt and incorporated
– covered w damp cloth at room temp and folded on each side every 30 min for 6 hrs
– refrigerated overnight for ~16 hrs
– preheated oven and cast iron Dutch over at 500 for an hour
– removed from fridge, lightly floured and scored (maybe not deep enough??) — it also looked pretty flat going in
– baked with lid on for 25 min at 490 degrees Fahrenheit
-baked without lid for 20 min at 475 degrees Fahrenheit
– checked and it looked doughy and flat so baked another 15 min at 250
by hankasaurus-rex
31 Comments
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Usually a young starter. Need more time to mature maybe. Also folding every 30 mins for 6 hours excessive. What amounts did you use for flour, Water, salt and starter. Did you follow aa certain recipe?
I would argue it’s not a sad first loaf because you completed it!! So many people would toss it or give up if it doesn’t look or feel “perfect” throughout the entire process. Great first attempt, and will be fun to look back on in a few months 😊
Hey. First make sure your starter is strong and ready (should double in 4-6hours at 25C with a 1:2:2 feeding). Second, you should develop gluten in the very beginning stages of the process and then leave the dough pretty much alone with the exception of the preshape and final shaping. No need to fold it for 6 hours as you risk knocking out precious air that the yeast worked hard to give you haha. The score is not the problem here. Most likely young, acidic starter and/or too little fermentation time. 6 hours is usually good at around 24/25C but if your environment is much cooler, say 20C you might need 12 hours before you put it in the fridge.
It happens to everybody.
Don’t give up and try again.
you should only do the 4 stretch and folds every 30 mins and then leave alone to room temp bulk till you see its rose for 50%. if you are having trouble with the room temp bulking part try the alloquat method.
https://preview.redd.it/vxxwkadb0ulf1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5cd1b0fcdf2a0e9ede2c35fe2403c341bacabfa
Better than my first lol
Here’s the recipe that I used for my first time. It’s very beginner friendly and consistently comes out nice.
https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2014/01/sourdough-bread-a-beginners-guide/
Good, strong bread flour will get the job done with minimal handling.
I do this: mix, 30 min rest, quick knead for 1-2 minutes, leave for an hour, laminate (basically one big stretch and fold). Then depending on the hydration level I will either leave it alone and let it bulk ferment or I’ll do two more stretchings 30 min apart if above 70 percent hydration. Once it’s almost doubled I’ll preshape, rest 20-30 minutes, shape, proof at room temp until it looks puffy and fills the sides of the banneton. Bag it, refrigerate overnight(l like 24 hours) and then bake.
Don’t get caught up on times too much. Get used to judging fermentation by how the dough looks and smells.
Like Danny said, Get your starter a little stronger then try again. Your starter needs to reliably double or more at peak. Even if your technique is perfect, your loaves will be an inconsistent until the starter is a bit more mature.
Keep going!
I don’t have any advice, but if it makes you feel better, mine was very sad too 😂
https://preview.redd.it/tsth4c0k2ulf1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=abc95076aca557069d261821d440d34d08075b1d
My first loaf was so bad it wasn’t edible and I couldn’t bring myself to take a picture 🤣 this is better than my second AND third loaves!!! Keep going! You got this!
You are actually much closer than you think.
Lots of stuff looks right, but your loaf is under developed. Either not enough bulk ferment or under bench proofed. Baking a loaf right out of the fridge is not great, because you have to be 100% sure you are proofed enough in the fridge. It’s hard on yeast and hard on new bakers. This is a classic mistake for new bakers, we’ve all been there!
Do the same thing, but add 1 hour or more on the counter before you bake it next time. The time is not a great indicator but based on your recipe I’d been looking for 50%-75% increase on your loaf size before you bake.
When’s your next loaf?
Now THIS is a first loaf. Thank you for the realness this sub so desperately needs.
I had so so many sad loaves for so long! As long as it’s edible, eat it. You’ll get there! It took me forever to get my technique and my starter just right. Some people get it after just a short time. Others of us are slower, lol!
Let your sourdough be at least 10 weeks old. Put in the fridge and each week take out, let it get to room temp, discard and feed it. Then put it back into fridge. Keep doing that til 10 weeks. Then take out and let it get to warm temp, let it rise, discard, feed, let it sit.
Use this link, and follow to a T.
You got this. Keep trying!!
[Best Recipe ](https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/beginners-sourdough-bread-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-40698)
As long as it’s eatable then that’s a win.
Keep trying! Im on my 3rd and eace time it gets alittle better! I keep a baking journal in a day planner. It helps. I think ill remember annnnddddd * checks notes* I dont
*
My partner called my first ones “stew bread”. They are sliced and waiting for a winter revival.
Does your starter double after you feed it?
It happens, maybe fermentation error, but thank you for a realistic first loaf unlike some other posts I keep seeing here
I don’t know where you live but in Florida I use 100 g of starter 325 g of water 500 g of bread, flour and 20 g of salt and make sure you’re stretching and folding religiously and make sure you let it proof
Id still eat it (:
This looks like a starter issue
I am so glad to finally see a first loaf that looked like mine. Oh so tired of seeing the nearly perfect first loaves here. Keep going, it does get better!!
I have made so many bad loaves
This was me in January… keep going!
saw your processes. fold less rest more. this is a lot under, looks like its only halfway there.
keep up the good work though, its great for a first loaf.
consider baking a control bread, i.e. doing the same, but folding once or twice, then rest for 9-12 hours
My first loaf looked like that too. Do not be discouraged!
Remember that it can get much worse 😉
It’s ok! Keep going!
Sorry, don’t be discouraged. You only need todo stretch and folds 3 times. Every 20 mins. I think you used up all your dough’s, what can I call it, poop. You also forgot the bulk ferment till it rises and is jiggly. It’s a process, after three years I’m still learning. Still have some not wonderful ones. Keep trying, read up on it. Lots of info out there, and videos.
My first loaf was so bad I didn’t even take a picture 😅 and the second one looked great but had a massive air bubble trapped so it was basically all air then the gummiest dough I’ve ever seen haha
Don’t give up! That first good loaf feels *amazing*