First loaf so I have no idea what I’m doing.
150g starter, 350 g water, 500 g bread flour
I left to bulk ferment for 6 hrs. It was barely holding its shape so I already had a feeling that wasn’t a good sign. Left in the fridge overnight to proof. Baked at 450 for 30 min with lid then 15 w/o lid.
by Reasonable_Flight874
22 Comments
Overproofed. I accidentally did the same. What can you do… I fell asleep during bulk fermentation.
Literally and figuratively, yes.
Did you do any strengthening like rubaud or slap and folds in the first hour?
Your starter might not be ready, there is almost no fermentation happening here
This is not overproofed this is no proofed starter is not ready
Salt is also a very important ingredient.
Looks like you’re using a high-hydration recipe, 74%. The higher the hydration, the more experience it usually takes to pull off. I could post a very good 65% if you’re interested?
Buh dum tiss
how old is your starter? this looks like it didn’t ferment at all
How old is your sourdough starter?
This happened to me when i experimented and accidentally killed all of the bacteria in my starter. It can only mean that you don’t have enough bacteria in your starter for it to be ready to bake with. Try a higher feeding ratio like 50g starter 50g water and 100g flour for 2 weeks
Not enough Fermentation – worth checking if your starter is effective and/or more time for bulk fermentation if your home is cold
I took my starter out of the fridge this morning. How long do I have to wait before I can use it to start a loaf of bread?
Yup.
Bit stodgy.
We’ve all been there. I just took the King Arthur Basic Sourdough online class, after making sourdough on and off for years with mixed success, and promptly had a loaf fail (saved it by making delicious focaccia). I had such high hopes after taking the classes 🤣 Last night, I succeeded with the sourdough sandwich bread from the same class. One day, I will finally figure it out. Ugh! Makes me not mind paying $10 for a sourdough loaf at the farmers market.
Did you forget the salt?
Put your dough in some sort of clear vertical container so you can measure the rise. Like a juice pitcher. When it’s risen about 60%, shape and put in fridge.
Boom. Bread.
Most likely your starter isn’t ready yet. It didn’t rise at all.
The big secret is…use your starter when it’s maxed its peak 2x and ONLY use it at its peak.
That’s exactly what my first loaf looked like! My second loaf was fantastic, so take heart.
One thing that helped me was learning to develop the gluten network.
After letting the shaggy dough hydrate for 45 minutes, I knead it in the bowl pretty vigorously. After that, starting with the next stretch and fold, I’m gentle.
Also, learning to shape the dough, creating tension in the loaf, made a big difference.
My first loaf was 75% hydration and I just didn’t have the skills to handle it. I went down to 65% and it was much easier. I’ve been slowly increasing the hydration and doing well. Don’t be discouraged. It’s common for the first loaf to be a hot mess.
My first loaves looked like garage too. I learned a lot since then! Keep trying, you got this!