First of all, the taste is great in all instances. But I cannot wrap my head around the reason for my downfall regarding sourdough bread. It feels like I have so much knowledge and information in my head yet still I have this blind spot.
My starter will be 1 yo in January 27th. I started baking bread since the end of February 2025. All my loaves were great except 1 or 2 that were under fermented.
I didn’t bake in the summer due to the very hot weather but I restarted in September/October. Since then, all my breads are flat. I mean not disc flat but I’m missing that beautiful oven rise that I used to have.
As for a recipe, I use 500g white flour (~12% protein), 100g starter, 330-350g water and 10g salt.
I kinda wing the autolyse and stretch and fold times, meaning that I do them when I have the time and it’s not a standard.
Bulk ferment until it doubles in size but here’s my problem – I don’t know how to eyeball the growth of the dough so therefore I never know if it’s double or triple or whatever.
Shape it, place it in a bowl or proofing basket and place in the fridge.
Next day I preheat the oven at 250°C with the DO and pizza stone inside, cut the dough at a 45° angle, place it in the DO and bake for 30 minutes then reduce the temp, remove the lid and bake for 15 more at lower temp.
I’m doing a 1:6:6 feeding. In the spring I used to do a 1:1:1 or 1:3:3 or just experimenting.
by graveyard_baker
6 Comments
Google “aliquot method” for help in timing the rise.
If knowing when it’s doubled is your goal, get a container with straight walls, like a 2qt cambro.
I’d also work on knowing when the dough is ready by appearance and smell, based on temp and time. The Sourdough Journey has really good videos detailing that out and below is the chart he made.
https://preview.redd.it/atja3yv4gqcg1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=d2af9b7ac1ccafa48e1dc4d4b6d410e5c73b3387
I find that bread flour gives me a much better rise
Your first breada are not fermented as much as your recent ones that you’re not happy with.
If you dont want to buy a new container to be able to watch your bulk rise there is always this trick:
Find any container that you can see through. Pour in 500ml water. Mark a line on the outside. Pour another 500 ml water. Mark another line, etc.
Now you can approximate your rise %
Try going back to a 1:1:1 feeding.
Small glass cylinder, like a spice container. Put a a little dough in after you add starter. Mark and measure. This is foolproof and works all year. I live in a region thats below freezing half the year and 90f the rest. This shows how your dough responds to temperature/humidity too, which is something to note