Generally, flat loaves will still taste ok, they just lack that beautiful airiness we want to see in our sourdough. Damaged starch absorbs water during mixing as opposed to undamaged starch where the water merely coats the outer surface. This also provides its sour flavour and. 24.5- 28C) overnight (12-14 hours). Second, most bakers wait more than 1 hour before cutting into the bread. Mix until no dry patches remain. Carefully make it round again pushing the seams underneath. You need to make sure that you keep your kitchen at a temperature between 24C - 28C (75F-82F). You might think it seems dry when you first mix it and add extra water. Final internal temp 211FSliced after cooling for 4 hours. 8 oz active sourdough starter, 12 oz warm water, 5 oz rye flour, 12 oz bread flour. You want the bread to be completely cool so you'd generally want to wait at least 3-4 hours and some bakers recommend waiting 24 hours to enhance flavor. When the dough is excessively over mixed, it first becomes very strong and stiff, then when mixed further, the gluten network starts to unravel and unknits, releasing the absorbed water out into the dough environment, causing it to be wet and sticky. This step hydrates the flours and helps with gluten development and dough structure. However under fermented dough will not cook all the way through, so this sourdough bread problem can have a deeper cause. Unfortunately, this results in tougher bread. Then, spoon bread flour and whole wheat flour into the bowl. In the first few minutes of the bake, the surface of the bread must be kept moist and pliable. Theres nothing wrong with using less water or adding more flour to your dough if its unmanageable, but you just need to be careful not to dry the dough out by adding too much flour. Let the integrated flour-and-water mass sit for up to an hour. If your dough is sticky, its going to stick to whatever is dry, so if youre touching it with dry hands, youre going to struggle. You can read more about this trick, Use water mist or ice inside your Dutch Oven to ensure you get a, Leave the sourdough bread in the oven to cool after it's baked (you'll find a. Shape into batards. Excess flour at shaping can mean that your dough does not seal back onto itself, causing tunnels of air to form when baking. . Even then the hydration would be on the very high side. A strong, mature sourdough starter will reward you with amazing sourdough at your next bake. Make the dough. Ingredients: 300g water 100g sourdough leaven* (made with your starter) 100g of stoneground organic wholemeal flour 400g organic strong white flour PROBLEM - Base of my sourdough bread is thick and chewy. Two things - the hydration listed (390g flour and 350g water) is way too high for almost any bread that's not 100% whole wheat. As the flour is better hydrated, more water is absorbed by the dough, and less water is coating the doughs surface which makes the dough feels less wet and sticky. This just means that you are taking the sides of the dough, stretching them up, and folding them over the dough 4-8 times, or until the dough is too tight to do any more. Our problem was with the tacky, rubbery, sticky insides of the baked bread (I could press a piece of the inside between my fingers and it would stick on without falling) no matter how long we bake it for (Charlie was baked for 40 mins in the cast iron and 20 mins on a rack, and the picture attached shows the insides). Use a 65% water content and you should be able to handle the dough and shape it with little to no problem at all. Water that is too soft causes dough to be sticky and slack from the lack of minerals; reverse osmosis water and soft tap water can cause your dough to be too wet and sticky. The Fresh Loaf is not responsible for community member content. So I added 390 flour, plus 45 more from the starter ( assuming your starter is 100% hydration) to get 435 flour. Begin mixing the flour in with a spoon or fork, then continue mixing with your hand, until all the flour is incorporated and you have a shaggy dough. Cover the bowl with a clean shower cap or plastic wrap and rest at 80F/26C for a minimum of 1 hour or as long as 2 hours. Oiling works just as well as dusting to create a non-stick surface which prevents your sticky dough from sticking and tearing. If youre struggling with high hydration dough, then you should absolutely lower the hydration and see if you get better results. Preheat the oven to 230C fan/456F/gas mark 8 with a baking stone on the middle shelf and a deep tray on the bottom. Thank you for the pointers, will be reducing the temperature to allow a longer bake the next round! A tightly shaped dough that has been stitched when placed in the banneton will hold together better when tipped out for baking. One set of strong Stretch & Folds. It's possible that the dough is rising too much during the cold retard which will also cause this issue. Thanks for the tip! Similarly, if your sourdough starter is too runny you may also end up with a super wet dough. And wait longer before slicing. Youll notice that you can stretch the dough further and less will cling to your hands by the time youre done. If you're using a young sourdough starter, there's always a chance that it's just not quite ready to bake with and will cause your dough to be too wet and sticky. As the gluten develops, the dough becomes less sticky and more manageable. Instructions. If your dough is too dry, add a little moisture and mix it, adding just a little more water if necessary. Wet and sticky dough not only sticks to the work surfaces but also to our hands, increasing the risk of tearing and making it very difficult to work with. One of the most obvious causes of wet dough is using too much water in the dough. However, sourdough hydration levels can be pushed past 100% with the right technique which we will discuss in the subheading below. Within eight to 12 hours of feeding your starter, you want to see a noticeable increase in volume and it should be putting off a pretty pungent. Bread mix, all-purpose flour, self-raising flour or cake flour can produce undesirable results when making sourdough. It is often easier to make. #7 The bread cooled in the oven When the bread looks ready, some bakers turn the oven off and leave it inside for 20 minutes to make their bread less gummy. The trick is to pinpoint which one is affecting your dough so you can fix it or change your formula for next time. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. During this time, the flour has the chance to fully hydrate and gluten network is able to develop in spite of the lack of mechanical mixing. Just know that it will be sticky early in this process. - longer waiting period before cutting --> this to me seems where you should start. When I first started baking, everything that could go wrong, went wrong; it felt borderline alchemy to me. water) slightly (eg. Rest 50 minutes. Add the sugar and salt. The only time I wouldnt recommend using wet hands is during shaping. Sourdough generally contains more water, which makes the gluten more likely to cling to everything. Why Is My Sourdough Too Sticky? Hot water strengthens the gluten in the flour. Mix well. If you're using all purpose flour, it can be a good idea to add some vital wheat gluten to the mix. At first, the dough will be very sticky, but the gluten will develop more and more after each stretch and fold. Also, remember that sourdough is extra sticky when the gluten isnt fully developed. Too much dusting of flour can also reduce stickiness to the point where sufficient skin tension is not able to be developed. Beginner bakers are best to start off with low to medium hydration dough before moving onto high hydration. We can use the mixing time below as a sanity check to determine if we have indeed under mixed or over mixed our dough; if you fall way out from the range in the table, increase or decrease mixing time to stay within these guidelines. Can you just add more flour to your sourdough? Or you need to give the sourdough starter more salt.Another root cause may be the recipe relative to your environment. Autolyse is an important part of the baking process where flour and water is initially mixed without any other ingredients and left to rest for about 20 to 60 minutes. Dough made with a young sourdough starter just won't develop. Autolyse for an hour before adding the starter (rest 30m) and salt (rest 15m) all by hand using the folding and pinching method. Your dough can become sticky when you add too much water or the flour isn't suitable for the type of dough you are making. If you find that your sourdough sticks to most things, take a look at my guide on how to stop sourdough sticking to everything. Damaged starch particles also varies from one milling facility to another. Sourdough can be a little tricky as it can take time for the flour to absorb the water during the autolyse process. One reason why people add too much flour and mix it in is to try to get the dough more manageable. The hardness of water measureshow much calcium and magnesium ion is present (expressed as ppm). BAKE YOUR SOURDOUGH Preheat your oven to 450F (230C) half an hour before the end of proving. Wet and sticky dough is caused by a few different issues. We should fold once every hour of bulk fermentation. Some people add too much water to compensate. We will hold on to the knife the next time and be sure to wait longer. You went with 150 and 150 - which is only 300, then 90 WW and 45 starter, for a total of 435. and so that drove the hydration from 81%, which is still fairly high, to over 90%. For example, the problem may be a recipe that calls for more hydration than the flour youre using requires. Pale crust after baked. Start taking internal temp at 45 min total time, and then allow 7 or 8 minutes for every degree it needs to come up. Please take that into account. In this article we will look at all the factors that makes your sourdough excessively wet and sticky, as well as various ways we can reduce the wetness and stickiness of sourdough without changing its hydration level. You want to be quick when moving or shaping the dough to prevent sticking. Instructions. The bacteria on the other hand create a sour taste and ferment the bread. If so, fix that, and try it with your standard bake temps/times, And then, if the problem persists, then add to the lower hydration the lower/longer bake temps/times, too. You see, when your hands are wet, the dough cannot stick to them easily, so it just slips right through them. Dusting with flour is useful for some parts of the baking process for preventing sourdough from sticking, but it is not the best method for every application; other methods for preventing sourdough from sticking is to wet your hands with water, oiling the work surfaces and using parchment paper for baking. Wetting your hands before handling your sticky dough is a game-changer. Thanks. Flip the bowl over onto the countertop so that the dough is now on top of the parchment paper. Dough that splits in this way is almost always under fermented. We retarded the dough for 16 hours. STEP THREE: Stir down the starter, then mix 1/3 cup of sourdough starter (90 grams) with water (385 grams) using a fork. Matching my work schedule. A basic sourdough is made with only wheat flour, sometimes just white flour and sometimes a combination of whole wheat flour and white flour. Rest for 30 minutes @76F. Simply combine your flour and water before any of the other ingredients, fully incorporating the flour. Even though our dough doubled in size at the end of four hours with visible strength around the rounded sides, there weren't bubbles on the surface of the dough. 150g bread flour, 150g all-purpose, 90g whole wheat flour with 350g water (slightly warmer than room temperature by the touch), with 90g of starter and 9g of salt. Thanks guys!!! Then, I use my wet hands to pick up a side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over. We will hold back from slicing it too early the next time!! If the actual final hydration does meet your goal, or whatever formula/recipe you're working from, then the next suggestion for something to tweak would be bake temps and times. Steaming is one of the most crucial steps when baking bread. The speed of your actions when handling your sourdough makes all the difference. Be sure you open with an autolyse, a step far easier than it sounds. Instructions. We know that flour is essential, but you need to make sure that youre using it correctly for the best results. Stir vigorously until combined; it might look like a sticky, thick dough. You haven't let your dough bulk ferment for long enough so the yeast and bacteria have not been able to do their jobs effectively. Being slow or having any hesitation can lead to the dough adhering to something it shouldnt, which would make your life a lot more difficult. One should be sticky, and one should be dusted with flour. You just get more un-fermented dough that wont stand up. First, in a large mixing bowl, whisk the starter, water, orange zest and juice, and maple syrup or honey. Bread Baking Tools A Must Have For Any Baker, Learn how to make bread and pizza with this, Why Did My Quick Bread Not Rise? Bake in preheated, covered DO at 475F for 20 minutes, then uncovered at 450F for 20 minutes. A great way to start the gluten development is to simply begin with an autolyse (mixing just the flour and water and letting it sit for one hour or more). Would really appreciate some pointers, thank you in advance!! However, it shouldnt be so sticky that it is hard to knead. Using too much water for the amount of flour you're using will result in a wet dough that's really hard to handle. It'll just take about 30 minutes in the fridge for the dough to firm until it's ready to roll. Score the top of your loaf using a sharp knife, razor or lame. Bake in preheated, covered DO at 475F for 20 minutes, then uncovered at 450F for 20 minutes. Bake with Jack 199K subscribers Overfermentation Video Number 116: https://youtu.be/XdYkdI_vgxQ Send your bread making problems to breadsos@bakewithjack.co.ukInclude your name, your location, a. Ensuring that you a strong gluten network is also essential in aleviating this issue. Once you get the hang of the sourdough process and the various phases, then start introducing whole grain flours into the mix. The crumb is open and definitely "finished" - the bread can be compressed and springs right back. Hi @Semolina, we waited only an hour before cutting into it, hasty on our part! Placing a baking tray underneath your Dutch Oven should do the trick. Mix dry ingredients together. This is when you let the dough rest after it is mixed but before you start to knead it. Soft water has <50ppm, medium 50-100ppm (best for bread baking), hard >200ppm. After sourdough fermentation, the lactic acid bacteria produce acetaldehyde. Your dough might be too sticky because you added too much water when making the initial mix, too. You can make a loaf of perfectly good sourdough bread at around 65% hydration if you want to. Content posted by community members is their own. It can be leathery rather than crispy. The flour you choose can have a big bearing on how your dough feels throughout the whole sourdough process. CAUSES - There are number of causes here, but the main one is that it was not baked long enough for the moisture in the dough to be baked out of the bread. The yeast has too much energy when it hits the oven and this excess energy causes a "rush" when your dough hits the oven. When it comes to transferring your dough, kneading it, or shaping it, youll have a much easier time with the assistance of some additional water. Method. Sourdough bread problems are often multi faceted and you will find that they are not always caused by one issue. SOLUTION - reduce proofing time. When this has cooled, add the rye sour, yeast mixture, 2 cups medium rye flour and the remaining 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30-60 minutes. Add 850g water to your mixing bowl and mix with your hand until the levain is wholly dissolved. Ensure gluten development and fermentation are correctly executed. If your sourdough has a very thick base which is burnt or just very tough, there's a very simple fix for this. Switch to a wood spoon. We would like to share the recipe we used here, hopefully to get some help from the experienced bakers around! This is particular difficult if you're working in humid conditions. 3. There are plenty of methods for developing gluten, so its up to you to try out different variations and figure out which is best for you. Remove the pot from the oven using pot holders (please be very careful ). Steps: Autolyse for an hour before adding the starter (rest 30m) and salt (rest 15m) all by hand using the folding and pinching method. Thanks so much. If youre new to making sourdough bread, youre bound to run into a few issues at first, especially if youre not experienced with sticky dough. As Ive already mentioned, gluten is essential to prevent too much sticking. 480F is not as hot as you could bake. Same with the salt %, it is computed on total flour. A starter is a collection of yeast and bacteria that feed on flour. This is the most comprehensive and easily understandable explanation of sourdough I have read. If your dough is dry, it is because you added too much flour. A good example of a low protein flour is general wholewheat flour. You can read more about this, Take some time to strengthen your sourdough starter (particularly if it's been in the fridge for a while or it's doubling consistently). Also, if you find the outside is brown and the inside is moist, that normally indicates you should lower the baking temp. Dough is sticky and wet from under mixing as insufficient gluten network is developed to hold in the water molecules. For example a gummy crumb can be caused by a starter that's too young and or under fermented dough. SOLUTION - Depending on the cause of your spread, you can implement the following fixes: PROBLEM - Dough splits in places other than where you've scored or even splits messing up your decorative scoring. (Rest for45 minutes @76Ffollowed by coil folds) - repeat 3x. Hi community, i am new to this forum but have been reading a lot of advice from fellow bakers here while my sister and I are trying out our very first sourdough.. We have gotten to "Charlie" (we name our sourdoughs alphabetically hoping to get it right before the alphabet "Z"), but our sourdoughs were never right. Without salt, the dough becomes sticky and slack in nature, making it difficult to work with. If your dough is too dry, add a little moisture and mix it, adding just a little more water if necessary. You'll find a full guide to all purpose flour vs bread flour here. This method of developing gluten should prove to be much cleaner and easier, but its up to you to figure out which gluten-development method you like the most. If you only want decorative scoring, you will need to push your bulk fermentation to the limit. It will be sticky. I wouldn't reduce temperature, but rather increase baking time. The steam that is trapped inside needs to move towards the outside. Once mixed, the dough enters the bulk fermentaiton phase where folding also takes place which helps significantly to develop more gluten network as well as to incorporate more water into the dough making it feel less wet and sticky. Let your sourdough bread come to room temperature before you cut into it. When you have finished Sourdough Bread Baking 101, you will have the confidence to not only bake using your own sourdough starter, you will be ready for more advanced sourdough baking techniques which will enable you to bake all sorts of sourdough artisan breads. Get a piece of baking paper cut to about the size of your dough ball and plop the dough, seam side down, onto the baking paper. Content posted by community members is their own. In this case, extra flour wont save it. If all has gone well, the dough will be in a tight ball and ready for proofing. This method involves mixing the dough so the flour is fully hydrated before performing a series of stretch and folds. Salt is called for in every bread formulation, but it is the one ingredient that we most commonly tend to forget to include into our mix. Score the bread on top with any design you like. Step 1: feed the sourdough starter About 12 hours before you plan to mix the dough, to a clean jar add; 10 grams unfed starter 25 grams water 25 grams flour Cover the jar loosely and allow it to rest and room temperature. SOLUTION - Allow your bread to cool for AT LEAST 90 minutes (much longer for rye bread). Some recipes are simply wetter and stickier than others. I think it's quite common to get some stickiness if you are slicing fairly soon after the end of bake. Many start at 400 F and drop to 375 F at some point during the baking. Think about how professional bakers look when handling their dough. The recipe I followed was from "a beautiful plate". I understand in the beginning you want to see the inside but do yourself a favor and wait at least 3 ours. Internal temp when I took them out of the oven was, again, 211F Just a tiny hint of tackiness this time around, well within the bounds of acceptability (I.e. Under mixing and over mixing results in insufficient gluten strands to trap water inside the dough, causing the dough to be wet and sticky. 150g bread flour, 150g all-purpose, 90g whole wheat flour with 350g water (slightly warmer than room temperature by the touch), with 90g of starter and 9g of salt. 16 hour cold (38F) retard, in closed plastic bags. Youll find that the dough sticks much less and youll have a better time shaping it. Make sure that you do your best to avoid this mistake by learning about sourdough fermentation timing and knowing when it's ready to move onto the next step. It might be that your sourdough is too sticky because there is insufficient gluten development. After every fold, you will notice a significant improvement in dough strength and significant reduction in the wetness and stickiness of the dough. As gluten develops more readily in a drier environment, this method allows the extra hydration to be easily incorporated into the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and keep covered in a warmish place in your kitchen at around 77F (24C) for 1 hour. Third, cover and rest the dough for 30 minutes. It is normal when working with dough of very high hydration for it to feel quite wet and sticky after it has finished mixing. *This article may contain affiliate links. However, it is possible to get sticky sourdough that is hard to get out of the pan or cut into pieces. Extending bulk fermentation will help to fix this problem. The only solution for this is to toss your dough and put your time into strengthening and maturing your sourdough starter. Bread has been baked too soon after shaping / under proofed. More noticeable sour taste, possibly unpleasant. Below, Ive listed the main reasons your sourdough is sticky, so have a look through and see how they might be affecting your dough. Read more about me and Breadopedia story here. Pate Fermentee VS Poolish VS Biga VS Sourdough Starter. Lamination butter for croissants - question, Farmer's Market Week 18 (Whole Wheat Walnut YW/SD Combo), 100% Stoneground Whole Wheat Hokkaido Sourdough Milk Bread, Borodinsky Supreme -- Old School -- 100% Rye. 14. Charlie was a little better probably because we increased the bake time, but the higher hydration did it in. (12-15% protein content), plus extra for dusting 2 teaspoons fine sea salt Method.