The only time I wouldnt recommend using wet hands is during shaping. Bread flour. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. If those figures do not include your levain, then you have at least 77% final hydration assuming a levain of 100% hydration. 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. If all has gone well, the dough will be in a tight ball and ready for proofing. The dough was definitely NOT underproofed - I'd recently been overproofing and this particular bake was, if anything, still a little over. Bread doesn't rise when baked. 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. Some Student Reviews: by Pam H - Outstanding. Put the lid on and place into the hot oven. Bake in a Dutch Oven. It has a more uniform appearance than a quick bread, and it cant leave you with a nasty chemical aftertaste. Add dried bread to the bowl of a food processor. Another tactic is chilling the dough for a while. 475 F covered, and 450 uncovered for 20 min seems too hot to me for only a 30% whole grain loaf: 300 g einkorn / (900 g + 90 g from levain) = 300 / 990 = 30.3%. 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. Oil the mixing bowl, the bowl used for bulk fermentation and folding, and the proofing vessel. Why Is My Sourdough Too Sticky? If your sourdough has a very thick base which is burnt or just very tough, there's a very simple fix for this. This isn't the worst that could happen :), but I would really like to understand why the stickiness, and how to get rid of it. 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. The dough will develop further in strength becoming dry and workable, as it will be able to retain more moisture once it has gone through the bulk fermentation phase and the folding phase. If you've found this article on handling wet, sticky sourdough helpful, you might also enjoy these: What a great resource you've created here. This site is powered by Drupal. The bacteria produce both lactic acid and acetic acid. Water was 350 plus 45 in the starter for 395. Add the all purpose/bread flour and whole wheat/spelt flour. It will stay very wet and sticky, rather than strengthen with each stretch and fold. If you're having trouble understanding the timing of bulk fermentation, I've written an easy to follow guide. If you see anything inappropriate on the site or have any questions, contact me at floydm at thefreshloaf dot com. strengthening and maturing your sourdough starter. 16 hour cold (38F) retard, in closed plastic bags. Copyright 2021 The Pantry Mama 2021 - All Rights Reserved, 5 Ways To Strengthen A Sourdough Starter: Give Your Starter A Boost, Sourdough Discard Crackers Recipe with Parmesan + Rosemary, Easy Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread Recipe, Sourdough English Muffins {with a discard version too}. Dough that splits in this way is almost always under fermented. In a large bowl, combine 350 g of water with the sourdough starter, stir to dissolve the starter. These need to be done without hesitation. So 180 grams would mean 80 grams of flour and 100 grams of water (because 80 x 1.25 = 100 grams; see above section for calculations) Step 2 - The recipe contains 600 grams flour and 360 grams water. The average total mixing time when using a spiral mixer is around 6 minutes of total mixing (includes first speed mixing time and second speed mixing time). 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. After fermenting for too long, the gluten in the dough begins to break down, which leaves you with a thick, gloopy mass of flour and water with no way to make good sourdough. If you are working with regular dough, ready How to Fix Super Sticky Dough. What to do: This is a heavily over proofed dough. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'crustylabs_com-leader-1','ezslot_6',124,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-crustylabs_com-leader-1-0');The table below is extracted from Jeffrey Hammelmans Bread Book that shows the relative mixing time between different mixers and hand mixing to develop the same dough to the same strength. There are lots of things that can go wrong when baking sourdough bread. To make the levain, combine the sourdough starter, water and flour (see image 2) in a medium bowl and mix until well combined.Cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm, draught-free place (approx. To calculate, add up all the flour, including the flour in the starter, then add up all the water, including the water in the starter, and divide the water by the starter. Gently pull the dough towards the edge. Under mixing and over mixing results in insufficient gluten strands to trap water inside the dough, causing the dough to be wet and sticky. A dough scraper is your best friend when handling any kind of dough. 2. Beginner bakers are best to start off with low to medium hydration dough before moving onto high hydration. Cover with cling film and let rest in the fridge for 12-15 hours. Next, add 8g fine sea salt. It can also be called Fool's Crumb where the bread appears to have an "open crumb" however the holes are large and surrounded by an uneven, tight crumb that is not desirable. I've been making breads recently which, while they're delicious, seemingly well-baked, and with an open crumb, are a bit tacky/sticky to the touch and during slicing. Turn out the loaf out onto a floured peel, make a cut in the top with a grignette and slide it onto the baking stone. And this time we'll be sure to wait longer before slicing up "Danny"! High temperatures can cause premature over fermentation, which will result in wet, sticky sourdough. One reason why people add too much flour and mix it in is to try to get the dough more manageable. 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. Sourdough generally contains more water, which makes the gluten more likely to cling to everything. 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. If youre using a lot of wholewheat, youre going to be left with a very sticky dough, especially if its paired with high hydration. A tough crust can also be caused by a lower hydration recipe. During shaping, we want to wet our hands to prevent the dough from sticking to it. The problem with damaged starches comes from the over absorption of water. Both of you mentioned a point in common on the hydration where I made a huge mistake on as I did not account for the hydration of the starter added. Sticky and wet crumb means the crumb is too wet; there is too much water in the finished product. Is Cake Flour The Same As Self-Rising Flour? This is the sourdough baking course you need if you are just starting out in sourdough bread baking. This makes it easier to handle. If the dough breaks before you can pull it so thin that you can see the light, resume kneading. If the bread dough feels correct but is the baked loaf is fragile and sticky inside, it is under-cooked. Sourdough can be a little tricky as it can take time for the flour to absorb the water during the autolyse process. Required fields are marked *. Im the face behind The Pantry Mama and I want to help you bake delicious sourdough bread, no matter what your schedule. Yeast and bacteria prefer warmer temperatures. For example a gummy crumb can be caused by a starter that's too young and or under fermented dough. Some people add too much water to compensate. One of the best might just be whipping up a batch of sourdough crackers with just a cup of your discarded starter, a cup of flour, a dash of salt, and about a quarter cup of butter. We retarded the dough for 16 hours. In this case, extra flour wont save it. Temperature is one of the most important factors when making sourdough. 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. 16 hour cold (38F) retard, in closed plastic bags. Thanks for the tip! When the percentage of damaged starch particles in flour exceeds 10%, your dough will become wetter and stickier over time. Salthand-mixed, Rubaud style, for 5 minutes. Wetting your hands before handling your sticky dough is a game-changer. 3/4 cup (170g) active sourdough starter 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon salt Instructions Add all ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook. Rest for 30 minutes @76F. Just dont freeze it. You might want to leave the bread in the oven for 10 minutes with the oven off and door ajar to help wick away some of the extra moisture. If you find that your sourdough sticks to most things, take a look at my guide on how to stop sourdough sticking to everything. You want to be fast enough to limit any sticking, but not too fast or you might make a mess. After every fold, you will notice a significant improvement in dough strength and significant reduction in the wetness and stickiness of the dough. Once you get comfortable, you can gradually increase the water content of your dough and see how you manage it. Kneading manually will most likely just make a sticky mess thats stuck all over your fingers and difficult to clean up, but with the stretch and fold, youre touching the dough very little and you wont have to worry about it sticking too much. Lets look at some of the common problems with sourdough bread and how to deal with them. Gently turn the dough out onto a separate floured flat baking tray (not preheated). Sometimes removing the bread out of the Dutch oven and baking it on the shelf for the last few minutes has a positive effect. This part is extremely important as its what determines whether you end up with a well-shaped sourdough or a mess. If you find your dough to be relatively dry after mixing, but gets wetter and stickier over time, it means that the flour you are using contains a very high percentage of damaged starch particles; try changing to a different flour brand and use European flour instead of American flour. It's really important to develop the gluten in your sourdough to ensure you don't end up with a wet and sticky mess. SOLUTION - Allow your bread to cool for AT LEAST 90 minutes (much longer for rye bread). Cover the bowl and set aside for 30-60 minutes. However, it's much better to find out the cause of the problem so you can fix it and prevent it from happening again. Then, introduce the remaining water in stages and mix only until the water is incorporated into the dough. This is called having over-proofed bread. Add of the water and dissolve or break up the sourdough with your hands. Only oil the proofing vessel if it is made of a non-porous material such as metal or glass, if it is made of a porous material like wood, then line the proofing vessel with a cloth and dust the cloth with flour. So if you're over-shooting the original formula's hydration due to miscalculattion, that would be the first thing to correct. The next day, preheat the oven to 500 degrees for 60 minutes. It will give you a better understanding of what you can do when it comes to handling your dough at different stages. Many start at 400 F and drop to 375 F at some point during the baking. You want to be quick when moving or shaping the dough to prevent sticking. Use a 65% water content and you should be able to handle the dough and shape it with little to no problem at all. Most loaves are soggy at the bottom because they've not had the heat but you can simulate that at home by using a hot stone. Also, remember that sourdough is extra sticky when the gluten isnt fully developed. It will look like cloudy water. Q: My dough is too slack and is not developing good strength. Id recommend picking up one metal and at least one plastic scraper to aid you in handling your sourdough. Think about how professional bakers look when handling their dough. Place the lid on and bake for 30 minutes. The answer to this really depends on what is causing your dough to be so sticky and wet. If youre struggling with high hydration dough, then you should absolutely lower the hydration and see if you get better results. We can prevent wet sourdough from sticking by oiling our work surfaces, using wet hands to handle the dough and dusting the proofing containers. Since using dry hands can be such a big problem for the sticky dough, Id advise that you get yourself a bowl of water to dip your hands in before you handle the dough. If you only want decorative scoring, you will need to push your bulk fermentation to the limit. SOLUTION - The solution to this problem is to ensure that your dough is fermented correctly. Always taste the mix to be sure that salt has been added before mixing. In our previous attempts, we thought it was undercooked, hence the longer baking time for Charlie this time round. On the other hand, rye sourdough is a bread that starts with sourdough starter instead of yeast but has at least some rye flour. However, if you are just about to shape your dough, adding flour is not an option. First, good effort, but where did you get the recipe from? 3. If baking in a pre-heated oven, turn on the oven to at least 200C/392F, once heated, add two big glasses of water to a dish on the bottom shelf The dough has already fermented and the flour you add won't be incorporated well. Content posted by community members is their own. Generally, a good hydration starting point is 75% or so when working with bread flour, 80% or so with whole wheat. . This also provides its sour flavour and. If your bread contains rye, it can take up to 24 hours! 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. Or you need to give the sourdough starter more salt.Another root cause may be the recipe relative to your environment. Your email address will not be published. The strength of your dough should build as you perform stretches and folds. Rest for 30 minutes @76F. Then, mix in 70 grams of active sourdough starter. The Fresh Loaf is not responsible for community member content. Sticky sourdough isnt something anybody wants to work with, but it is completely normal and something that you need to get used to if youre going to get good at making sourdough bread. If you want to you can spritz your dough with extra water before you put the lid on. We should fold once every hour of bulk fermentation. You'll find a full guide to all purpose flour vs bread flour here. Over proofing or fermenting the dough can also result in the gluten structure weakening causing sticky dough. Often the bottom of your sourdough is burning. Once one side is stretched and dusted, you should shape the dough and put it into your banneton. How to handle sticky, wet . 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. I've written about 6 things you can do to ensure you get good sourdough oven spring (and leave the hockey pucks behind) here. 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. It affects pretty much every part of the process. no one but me would notice or care). Thank you in advance! *This article may contain affiliate links. CAUSE - a tight and or uneven crumb is generally caused by under fermentation, but can also be due to not having a mature or active starter. In order to have an easier time handling the dough, you need to maximize gluten development. Different types of mixers uses different mixing arm which develops the dough at different rates. Turn out on to a surface and knead for 10 minutes or until the 'windowpane effect' is . Step 1 - My starter is at 125% hydration. American flour has a damaged starch percentage of roughly 8-9% while European flour has a lower damaged starch percentage at about 7%. Many thanks for this. 480F is not as hot as you could bake. Thanks @Barryval and @ifs201! For now, you need to know exactly whats causing your sourdough to be sticky and what you can do to help yourself with it. April 30, 2020. Turn the mixer on 1-2 (never higher than 2 or medium-low) and let the mixer knead the dough for about 5 minutes. The yeast has too much energy when it hits the oven and this excess energy causes a "rush" when your dough hits the oven. Your email address will not be published. STEP THREE: Stir down the starter, then mix 1/3 cup of sourdough starter (90 grams) with water (385 grams) using a fork. After toiling through many failures, I finally reached a level of consistency that I can be proud of - it is amazing the intricacy that is required to produce a great bake. 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. Wet, sticky dough can be super messy - and preventing mess in the kitchen is always a good thing! A strong, mature sourdough starter will reward you with amazing sourdough at your next bake. After 30 minutes, take the parchment paper with the dough on it and place the entire thing in the preheated dutch oven. PROBLEM - My sourdough never puffs up in the oven. First, in the evening, prepare the soaker by pouring hot water over the mixture of seeds and grains. If you've just completed autolyse and you feel that your dough is too wet, it is possible to add some more flour at that that stage. And then mix in the other ingredients and forge ahead. All flour has a certain percentage of damaged starch particles, but when the amount of damaged starch particles exceed 10%, dough becomes wet and sticky. In my other courses, I teach how to bake all sorts of sourdough breads, but in this course, I won't load you down with lots of information, just enough so it is easy and fun to bake your first loaf of sourdough. This happens because it is more difficult for gluten network to be developed in a wetter dough, which makes it more difficult for water to be retained into the dough, and the dough tends to stay wet and sticky throughout mixing. Take the bowl off the scales and mix well, it will look rough and lumpy, but never fear it will soon start to look like bread dough! Place in bannetons. Jack Sturgess. This excess water is not retained inside the dough but rather coats the doughs surface causing it to be wet and sticky. @halfbakedharvest.com Cheaters No Knead Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread. Is rye flour good for . Agree with the previous comments and hotter, longer and let dry, https://www.abeautifulplate.com/artisan-sourdough-bread-recipe/, Lamination butter for croissants - question, Mexican buns aka coffee cookie buns aka rotiboy buns, Farmer's Market Week 18 (Whole Wheat Walnut YW/SD Combo), Red Fife x 4 = Awesomeness!!! Second sign: The dough has become loose and slack, and doesn't seem to hold any kind of shape. Copyright 2021 The Pantry Mama 2021 - All Rights Reserved, 5 Ways To Strengthen A Sourdough Starter: Give Your Starter A Boost, Sourdough Discard Crackers Recipe with Parmesan + Rosemary, Easy Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread Recipe, Sourdough English Muffins {with a discard version too}. How long did you wait before slicing the loaf in the photo? If your dough does not develop a sufficient gluten network, it will be wet, sticky and have no structure. When you have to stretch and fold or pick up your dough, you can do it with ease if youve got a layer of moisture on your hands. Shaping it and baking very shortly afterwards is recommended. Once you get the hang of the sourdough process and the various phases, then start introducing whole grain flours into the mix. Rice flour to stop it sticking to the counter. Im the face behind The Pantry Mama and I want to help you bake delicious sourdough bread, no matter what your schedule. Make sure that you do your best to avoid this mistake by learning about sourdough fermentation timing and knowing when its ready to move onto the next step. the yeast has not fermented for long enough and still has too much energy to burn when it hits the oven, the yeast lets off too much gas all at once when it hits the oven. Perhaps your sourdough is too sticky when you start working with it. Here are some options for working with wet, sticky over fermented sourdough. It'll just take about 30 minutes in the fridge for the dough to firm until it's ready to roll. Final internal temp 211FSliced after cooling for 4 hours. Add in your white and whole wheat flours. Please take that into account. To solve this problem, try taking the bread maker out of equation by baking in an oven. You can make a loaf of perfectly good sourdough bread at around 65% hydration if you want to. It has more energy than it should have left when it hits the oven - meaning you might get a great oven spring - but it destroys your scoring (and will more than likely be gummy inside). Place on a floured cake or bowl with a tea towel and fold over. I'll come back with the results in a week! It affects pretty much every part of the process. . It's when this doesn't happen that problems start to occur. (12-15% protein content), plus extra for dusting 2 teaspoons fine sea salt Method. CAUSE - Logically, the cause of this is not baking your bread for long enough. Hot water strengthens the gluten in the flour. The water almost wholly stops the sticking, so you dont have to worry about messing up your dough. What Basic Methods Are Used To Make Quick Breads? Content posted by community members is their own. It can be leathery rather than crispy. Even with parchment paper, the base of your bread is sitting on the hot base of the Dutch Oven causing it to cook more quickly. Mix until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl . Add the dry mixture. How to handle sticky, wet . However, you should avoid using a mixer to do this, because it can overheat the dough and break down the gluten strands. If you're looking for troubleshooting your sourdough starter - you'll find a list of the most FAQ here. Day 1 - The Start. In a separate smaller bowl, add 220 grams of warm water. The stickiest of doughs are the ones that dont have a developed gluten network. Lightly Flour One Side Of The Dough During Shaping. Thanks guys!!! This is when you let the dough rest after it is mixed but before you start to knead it. Makes 1 x 800-g/1-lbs. This is the most comprehensive and easily understandable explanation of sourdough I have read. #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. 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. Instead, stretch and fold it. Evenly roll out your small 2- to 4-ounce balls into small circles a scant quarter inch thick. I have, however, always let my bread cool for at least 4 hours, until its at or very near room- temperature, and it continues to be sticky - even when left in the oven to steam out for a little while after baking is completed. Make sure that you develop your gluten network really well during the stretch and fold stage. Sourdough starter is wild yeast and bacteria. Second, most bakers wait more than 1 hour before cutting into the bread. Concentrate on shaping evenly and with plenty of tension to ensure your dough rises evenly and doesn't split other than where you've scored. Method. Sometimes the issue is the kneading technique. Large mixing bowl Measuring cups and spoons Bread thermometer ( fancy or a budget one) Scoring lame Extra (nice to have): Kitchen scale Dough scraper and bowl scraper (yes, they are different) Cooling rack Baking stone (you don't need a dutch oven if you use this) Learn how to make bread and pizza with this awesome book. Flour contains starches, and some of these starch molecules inevitably cracks and breaks due to the harsh milling process; these are known as damaged starch particles. If your dough is under fermented it will lose shape quickly and spread when it's tipped out of the banneton. It should be room temperature. Factors like temperature, humidity, air pressure and elevation play a role here. 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%. Your email address will not be published. We preheated the oven (which was constrained at 480F) for an hour, and baked Charlie for 40 mins (tried 25 mins for Betty) in the cast iron, and 20 mins on the rack. When mixing dough of very high hydration, it can often be excessively wet and sticky and you may find it difficult for the dough to hold in all that water. From a gummy crumb to a lack of rise and everything in between. PROBLEM - You may have baked a loaf of sourdough which appears to have large tunnels of air or just one big hole surrounded by a tighter or dense crumb. Acetaldehyde is a known stomach irritant and causes watery diarrhea. CAUSE - gummy sourdough can be caused by a starter that's too young or inactive and or under fermentation. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. . 25 minute proof at room temperature. Your dough should be split into two sides. The recommended method to prevent wet and sticky dough from sticking to our hands is to wet our hands with water whenever we are handling the dough; wet dough sticks to dry hands, but wet dough does not stick to wet hands. Now it is the sourdough starter or its use that is suspect. You wont be able to shape it when its wet. CAUSE - This most likely caused by under fermentation, but can sometimes be a shaping issue too. Add 60g of sourdough starter and set the tare to zero again; then add the salt and water, again, I find it easier to set the tare to zero before adding the flour. Under fermented dough will also cause you to have a pale crust that just doesn't brown up, even when you cook it longer. It's best to choose a higher protein flour, such as a bread flour. By using the tips below, youll be able to learn how to handle your dough without it sticking to you, so you can actually manage it and make great sourdough bread. Hi @Semolina, we waited only an hour before cutting into it, hasty on our part! Over-proofed Sourdough Bread When sourdough bread is given too long of a rise time it will result in bread that is over-proofed. As you knead any bread dough, you should notice that it goes from a shaggy mess to more of a smooth mass of dough thats become less sticky. It is generally healthier and easier to digest. At first, the dough will be very sticky, but the gluten will develop more and more after each stretch and fold. Don't close the oven door or the crust will become soft and wrinkly. If your bread contains rye, it can take up to 24 hours! Other ingredients, like honey, may also make your sourdough wet and sticky. The only thing you might need to fix with your sourdough is its hydration. Yeasted Pre-ferment (Poolish & Biga) VS Sponge VS Dough. You can still bake it and eat it, but it will be a solid mass, not the light, airy sourdough you were expecting. Youre aiming for maximum gluten development for the dough to become easier to manage. You can try to fix things like high humidity in your house or waiting until the kitchen has warmed to room temperature before getting to work. You should also wet your hands with cold water before folding the dough. full guide to stopping your sourdough bread from collapsing here, Flavored Sourdough: How To Make Additions To Sourdough Bread. A lack of oven spring could be due to a shaping issue, under fermentation or poor gluten development - but more often than not it's a combination of a few things. And dont let it sit in the fridge so long that it dries out. Thank you so much for the guidance! Cutting it too soon stops your sourdough from completing the cooking process and results in a gummy, wet texture when you cut it. Alternatively if you want to use all purpose flour, you'll need to reduce the hydration of your dough. We performed up to 6 sets of stretch and fold during the first two hours of fermentation before leaving it to bulk ferment for the next two hours. In this article, we're going to talk about some of the causes of what makes this happen, as well as how to sort it out if it does happen. side question: Does the 675 g of water, and 75% hydration include what's in the levain? Step 3 - Total amount of flour is 80 grams + 600 grams = 680 grams. Add the honey or maple syrup, pumpkin pure, pumpkin spice and salt. Thanks!! This is the sourdough baking course you need if you are just starting out in sourdough bread baking. Alternatively, you'll need to adjust the amount of starter in your dough to suit the temperature of your kitchen. The good news is, there's always a way to fix your sourdough bread problems for your next bake! However, it is possible to get sticky sourdough that is hard to get out of the pan or cut into pieces. You ideally want to achieve a window pane. Third, mix in the soaker, mixing and incorporating the grains and seeds into . Combine the starter, water, rye flour and 1 cup of the bread flour.