Don’t get me wrong, it always tastes delicious but I never get big holes in the crumb. Any recommendations?
I use this recipe, with the 450g flour I do 50g of that with whole wheat. I also let it bull ferment for 35 minutes longer than the recipe.
https://grantbakes.com/good-sourdough-bread/
by Bellaluna77
39 Comments
Try rolling it a bit tighter in the pre form and letting it go a bit longer on the final proof. Your bread looks dank though.
I would like yo know this as well!
For me, this bread Is perfect. I understand the aesthetic of the hole-y bread, but it can’t hold your butter, or jams, or sugars, or anything you want to put on it. Truly you’ve, to me, perfected the bread and everyone around you eating it should make sure they tell you the same lol
Tbh your loaf looks really good already 👏 but if you want it a bit lighter try tightening your pre-shape just a touch. That helps it trap air better during the final rise. Also maybe give it a little longer proof next time. It looks like it could have used another 30 to 45 mins depending on your room temp.
But honestly I kinda agree with u/Character_Archer5124. That crumb is perfect for actually *eating* bread instead of just staring at it on Instagram 😅 buttery, jam-friendly, and cozy.
Your bread looks beautiful both on the inside and out. Bread with lots of holes may look “pro”, but I like the mouthfeel of this crumb so much better! It’s bread, not a crumpet!
Try it without the whole wheat.
What’s your hydration? If it’s in the 70s try upping it to 80. This will produce a more open crumb. Also ensure you are letting it bulk proof for long enough, and also make sure your starter is very active.
How long are you letting it bulk ferment?
For open crumb you should try mostly white flour and increase the hydration. That is, keeping in mind your bulk ferment and cold proof is on point. Looks absolutely tasty, tho.
Oh no my steak is too juicy and my lobster is too buttery, just kidding, it looks very good.
impeccable
It doesn’t look bad to me. If you’re following your instructions correctly, it might just be the flour you’re using. I recently changed my flour, and the current flour I am using doesn’t create as much alveoli , yet it is tasteful, and I like it more for making sandwiches.
The consistency of my starter hasn’t changed, yet it’s less bubbly.
Because it’s well made sourdough
More water, you now have 66% hydration. Up to 70%, 80% or even 90% is possible (possible, not saying it is easy)
Whole wheat. The bran cuts the gluten short. Try good bread flour instead. Unbleached preferred.
It’s some great looking sourdough IMHO.
I’ve recently started making sourdough myself and after the first two loaves, this is what mine looks like (after a few changes). I also thought this was “not correct” because of the more airy crumb you see in social media videos. But aside from maybe looks, I think this is better functionally imo.
it’a a great loaf and its got good crumb. Whole wheat tends not to open up the crumb a lot so it’s perfectly normal.
Don’t listen to people tell you that it’s perfect, because even if it it’s delicious and perfect for them, it’s not what you said. You said you wanted bread with a more open crumb. It seems to me, creating an even open crumb is more difficult than creating the bread that you did there, because my best loaf look like that just what you did. It looks amazing and it probably tastes amazing. It looks properly proofed and properly baked. But to answer your question how to get more of a loose crumb. In my experience It has to do with higher hydration and careful shaping. Good luck.
I think it looks fine. You say it tastes good, but you want larger holes. Do you want larger holes for the sake of having larger holes or is there some other reason. One way to get larger holes is wetter dough.
Came to the comments because I have the same “problem”, and realized it’s a good thing!
I think it looks great, but it is more of a sandwich loaf style.
Try baking without WW and doing more stretch and folds. Then you can go from there!
Your crumb looks exactly like the picture in the recipe you followed. I don’t mean to sound facetious, but if your goal is an open crumb, you’ll probably want to find a different recipe.
Hydration and the degree you’re deflating it in the final shape.
This is the texture I go for because it’s easier to work with and eat. Try bumping the hydration up to 75% (or more) if you want the nice lacy crumb you seek. Also have a LIGHT, fast touch in your final shape. If you can feel yourself bursting air bubbles that’s a bad sign (Note: I have no idea how to shape it light and fast but I assume that’s what it needs!)
When I pick my sourdough slices for my breakfast at work, I look for the slices with no holes, it holds the avocado better, the butter stays on so well and I feel like it fills me up more! I hope my ones come out like this!
How many stretch & folds are you doing, and how much time in between each?
It’s thick, but it’s most definitely baked properly! The loaves with huge holes in the crumb are nice-looking, but if I want an actual MEAL, I’d take your bread any day. If I remember right, you need a boatload of hydration for that kind of lacey, open crumb, so that means when all the water evaporates while it bakes, you’ve got bread that’s basically half-crust.
You’ve got perfect bread there, especially for eating.
However if you still want those airy crumbs, up the hydration slightly. I’ve started doing it and it’s giving me much bigger rises and bigger bubbles. Just gotta learn how to handle higher hydration dough.
Don’t go mad tho I’m only saying like an extra 5 or 10%.
The more kneading (folding, etc), the denser the matrix of gluten becomes. Try letting it be as soon as its elastic enough to hold shape.
Ya it looks fine to me
Your bread looks wonderful.
I also use that recipe and get the same results as you! I also wondered why my crumb wasn’t more airy. Great to know it wasn’t just me.
That bread looks just fine.
and I bet it tastes very good.
bread is not a beauty contestant
its a nutritional miracle
Higher hydration, which everyone is saying. I would also suggest using bread flour rather than AP flour.
My bread looks similar to this, I only use 1:4 whole wheat to hi gluten in my starter and straight hi gluten for product. Looks dank🫶🏻
I agree with others, this is my preferred, I don’t want my butter or jelly, or honey, or whatever I have on top dribbling thru the holes… I think making higher hydration loaves so that the steam evaporates and leaves larger holes as the steam leaves.
This is usually my goal. If you want a looser crumb, do about 5 minutes of toss and folds immediately after you mix your ingredients. Let it rest for about 15 minutes and then begin your process for stretch and folds.
i have the same issue.
look great 👍