hey , so I'm new to sourdough I made my first loaf like a month ago it was a disaster, my second and third I made everything right (I think) and my starter is strong and it still came out so flat , the recipe I followed was from TikTok, it was 1 cup sourdough starter , 4 cups flour, 1 ½ cups water 2 tsp salt, I do stretch and fold 4 times every 30 mins , then I leave it for another 2 hours , then shape the loaf , leave it to cold proof over night and bake it (it was looking good and doubled the size ) , I don't have a dutch oven so I put water and a kitchen towels in a tray and sprayed the oven with water , before I put the bread in the oven it looked right and really promising, but after I checked it looked really flat I left it in the oven over time maybe a miracle would happen but it stayed flat and I don't know what I did wrong , the photos are from my second and third try .
by Mrym_1
33 Comments
A moment of silence, please, for these sad, tortured loaves.
Ok, first, please for the love of god delete tiktok.
Also, please, for the sake of your life, never, ever put a towel in the oven under any condition. Ok? I love you and do not want you to die in a house fire.
Next, you never bake with cups – if someone is sharing cup measures with you, they’re clueless. You bake with weight measurements, not volume measurements, get a simple gram scale. Find a simple recipe that is in grams and is not on that moronic app.
Now, the amount of starter you are using is likely wildly, wildly too much – starters are much more dense than flour so you’re possibly doing something like a 50% starter dough, by weight, where what you need is more like 20%.
You also don’t say what temperature you baked at. You want to start out at 500F.
Good luck.
I’m not an expert but I think you need a better recipe. Don’t take one from social media. I would suggest buying a cookbook from a known baker or possibly the King Arthur website. Make sure you’re using the right kind of flour. I agree with the other comment saying that only use a recipe that uses weights as measurements, and not cups. Cups will not be exact enough for bread baking. Good on you for getting up and trying again. I don’t think you’re the problem here.
So I am no expert, but a few things-
First, unlike the other poster, I think TikTok can be okay for recipes, but the recipe you are using is not good. Forget all about it. You absolutely want to be baking bread by using ingredients measured by weight, not in cups. Get a kitchen scale, and you don’t need an expensive one- I got a Target brand one for like $11.
Second, what kind of flour are you using? Are you using bread flour?
Third, generally you want your bread to double in size before shaping, not after. So 2 hours proofing on your counter may not be enough- you need to leave it however long it takes to about double before shaping. Mine always takes longer than 2 hours.
Fourth, please do not put a kitchen towel in your oven!!!
Fifth, what temp are you baking at and for how long? What kind of baking vessel- could you pick up a dutch oven or bread oven at a thrift store, perhaps?
edit: & p.s., you can totally figure out how to do this. we all start somewhere, don’t get discouraged!
Do not use a TikTok recipe! TikTokers are notorious for just lying about what they did. That recipe could work but it’s not good. Use weights instead of cups for this. Every bag of flour is different, and you’ll get wildly different results. Buy a $12 kitchen scale and use a precise beginner recipe with low hydration (less water when compared to the amount of flour).
Your loaves did not have the proper time to rise. It’s flat because it never got the chance to ferment. It seems like 4 hours is not enough time in your climate. Go for longer during the bulk ferment, and call it done when the bread has risen, not based on time.
First if you’re bulk fermenting by the clock and not feel of the dough, you’re going to have this happen. Depends on the temp in your kitchen. In the summer I let my dough bulk ferment outside and it still takes 4-5hrs in 30ish°C. Inside it takes closer to 6-8hrs.
Ive attached a link to a recipe I started with before altering it for my needs. It gives great visual cues for when to move to the next step.
[Foolproof Sourdough Recipe](https://thatsourdoughgal.com/the-best-foolproof-white-sourdough-bread-recipe/)
It took me ages of failed, flat, dense and gummy loaves before I got the hang of sourdough. Now I make 3 sandwich loaves a week for my family, and artisanal loaves for every event. You got this!
Some warning signs to look for in bread recipes
* Measurements are in cups
* It calls for “extra flour for kneading”
* Has a title like “I stopped buying bread after watching this…”
The purpose of these is not to make good bread but to get you to engage with the content.
I would review this sub’s community bookmarks. All of the information you need is right there. Including great, credible video content that will walk you through the whole process.
Either your starter is weak or you aren’t bulk fermenting long enough.
Does your starter double at least in 4-6 hours on a 1:1:1 feed? If it is taking longer you need to do some starter maintenance to get it stronger.
When you bulk ferment you’re looking for an end result of:
1. Risen (not necessarily doubled *especially* if the dough temperature is quite high as it’ll continue to ferment as it comes down to the temperature of the fridge.
2. Slightly domed on top.
3. Jiggly if you shake it.
4. Pull from the sides of the bowl (or whatever you bulk in) cleanly with no resistance at all.
5. Lots of bubbles throughout.
6. For a low hydration dough for there to be a tacky feeling when touching with a dry hand but not sticky. For a higher hydration dough expect this to be the tiniest bit sticky.
If these 6 points are not all ticked before shaping and going into the fridge for a cold proof then bulk is not complete. This can take anywhere from a couple of hours to 14+ hours. It’s different for everyone.
Yeah,…but …(gestures vaguely) sourdough!
I loves me some sourdough no matter what form it may take.
If it’s showing up flat, chances are it’s not proofed enough or overproofed. There is a sweet spot.
Also, gluten strands are not set up to help it keep its roundness. Do 3-4 sets of slap & folds every 30 minutes followed by round & tuck before cold fermentation.
(all this assumes your starter is active, healthy, and doubles in size after feedings)…if not, your starter isn’t strong enough, keep 1:1 feeding until it gets really gassy.
Sourdough making is a ~9 step process where each step depends on the previous step being done perfectly. If one of those goes wrong you’ll end up with problems, but they can be overcome with practice/experience.
Oh.
Ohhhh.
I’m so sorry.
Let’s get you on a better path, yeah? Start with something like this. [https://www.bakewithjack.co.uk/blog-1/2018/7/5/sourdough-loaf-for-beginners](https://www.bakewithjack.co.uk/blog-1/2018/7/5/sourdough-loaf-for-beginners)
I agree with everyone else…TT set you on a BAD path. I don’t think it was you, friend…I think it was where you got the recipe from.
Others have already pointed out the problems with your recipe so I’m just going to link the recipe I use:
https://grantbakes.com/good-sourdough-bread/
I send it to everyone getting into sourdough and it’s always a hit. It has clear timelines which I found very helpful in the beginning. Please get a scale OP! It will make your life so much easier and your measurements more accurate.
I think you should simply not use the kitchen if you thought putting a towel in the oven was your best course of action…
I think you need a good recipe and method, since your current method isn’t working.
[https://www.theperfectloaf.com](https://www.theperfectloaf.com)
You also may want these inexpensive items: a gram scale, Dutch oven (or equivalent), banneton, bench scraper, parchment paper or (silicone sling), and thermometer.
Check out sourdough whisperer
In the last pictures it kinda looks like a delicious cookie
This tells me your starter isn’t… started lol
– what are these measurements even?? Literally none of them are remotely correct
– towels in the oven??????? You’re going to burn your home down.
– please find a new recipe and buy a kitchen scale.
Please don’t measure by cups
In addition to what others have shared I would *highly* recommend getting a Dutch oven if you’re invested in sourdough. I got mine from IKEA about 15 years ago and she’s still going strong. Amazon has some for under $40 that may be a good starting point. The magic really happens in that closed pot. And not to beat a dead horse, but kitchen towels in the oven are never going to get you the results you want! Good luck, there’s lots of fantastic advice here.
Bread ingredients should be measured in grams, not cups/spoons etc.
You need to do a bulk rise before you cold proof it. That can take anywhere from 4-12 hours depending on the temperature of where you set the dough, but I don’t recommend exceeding 85°F.
I am sorry, I am stuck on putting kitchen towels in an oven. Please don’t do this, if you really are interested in sourdough, and don’t want to burn down your house, get a Dutch oven or do what others say about the duel pan method.
I highly recommend you to check out [Claire Saffitz](https://youtube.com/@csaffitz?si=xI3KEv69n-jEd5V6) on YouTube. She explains everything in detail, basically foolproof for beginners in baking. Having a comprehensive video form always helps a lot if you bake anything new (and I don’t mean TikTok garbage).
It looks like a ginger snap cookie minus the color
Thats it, im bread shaming
Our biggest failures are our best teachers. Don’t give up–go through the suggestions here, and make changes methodically. That is, try one or two suggestions and take notes on what you did as you go so you can retrace your steps to see what worked (or what didn’t). Mauricio Leo of The Perfect Loaf has a free “baking notes” worksheet you can download and print out. I keep a “favorite bakes” notebook and do a worksheet for recipes I’ve had trouble with. When we’re caught up mixing, measuring, folding, etc. we can forget what exact steps we took. Good luck!
I love amaretti cookies
Soft Sourdough
Ingredients
* 480 grams water
* 80 grams active sourdough starter
* 19 grams sugar
* 15 grams oil (see note)
* 600 grams bread flour
* 16 grams salt
* 5 grams sunflower lecithin (if using)
Directions
* Combine the water, starter, sugar, salt and oil in a large bowl (and lecithin if using. See my notes below). Add the flour and mix until no dry flour remains. Mix with your hands if it becomes too difficult to do with a skinny silicone spatula.
• Cover and rest for 30 minutes, then perform a round of stretch and folds in the vessel to form the dough into a tight ball. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size. • Grease an 8 by 4-inch loaf pan. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a log. Place seam-side down in the prepared pan and cover with a towel. • Let rise until the dome comes up to near the rim of the pan or cover with plastic wrap and cold proof for 12-24 hours in the fridge. • Bake in a 425° oven for 20 minutes. Cold proofed loaves can go straight from fridge to oven. Tent loaf with foil or use lid if using cast iron bread pans. If using foil, you can add a dish of water in the oven to keep things moist/humid for a softer crust. No need to do this with cast iron lid. • Remove loaf from oven and score with sharp knife. • Lower oven temp to 375° and continue cooking for 25 -35 minutes. Keep covered / uncovered depending on how dark you want your crust. Check with toothpick and/or thermometer. Anything above 200° is done. • Turn upside down to release and cool completely on a wire rack. Notes
* The type of oil you use flexible . I usually do olive or avocado.
* I added 4-5 grams of sunflower lecithin, which increases softness and shelf life
* Only requires one round of stretch and fold before first rise
* I’ve been scoring the loaves at 20 minutes in the oven rather than the dough before the bake. So much easier and still has great oven spring
https://preview.redd.it/9accwmoc3rrf1.jpeg?width=2352&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=354867b274375c6c1eacd85bad093b0941f4877b
2 hours does not seem like nearly enough bulk fermenting time. – it’s also so so anemic.
https://www.lionsbread.com/soft-sourdough-sandwich-bread/
I use this recipe, it slaps hard, only makes one loaf, and comes out well every time
Looks like it was baked over a warm welcome.
“Cups” are the culprit. Bread baking doesn’t work with cups. It’s awfully precise.
Do not measure in cups. Also don’t put towels in the oven.
Buy a bloody Dutch oven, or bake with a tray under with a few ice cubes 🤦
Never put a towel in your oven.
Flat loaves are basically a rite of passage in sourdough land-you’re in good company.