Send your . You just get more un-fermented dough that wont stand up. Youll find that most recipes are making sourdough with fairly high hydration, which means that the sourdough is naturally stickier, but this doesnt mean that all sourdough has to be sticky. Temperature is one of the most important factors when making sourdough. A Guide to Troubleshooting Sourdough Bread - The Pantry Mama The dough was definitely NOT underproofed - I'd recently been overproofing and this particular bake was, if anything, still a little over. Its very important to avoid tearing the gluten as this causes it to become sticky again. 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. Generally, a good hydration starting point is 75% or so when working with bread flour, 80% or so with whole wheat. If you're looking for troubleshooting your sourdough starter - you'll find a list of the most FAQ here. High temperatures can cause premature over fermentation, which will result in wet, sticky sourdough. Hi, I'm Kate! However, sourdough hydration levels can be pushed past 100% with the right technique which we will discuss in the subheading below. Cover with plastic wrap and keep covered in a warmish place in your kitchen at around 77F (24C) for 1 hour. CAUSE - This is typically caused by under fermenting your dough, but can also happen through using too much flour when you shape your bread. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'crustylabs_com-leader-4','ezslot_20',129,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-crustylabs_com-leader-4-0');If you are proofing your dough in a non porous material such as a metal or glass container, then oiling is preferred over dusting with flour. link to Yeasted Pre-ferment (Poolish & Biga) VS Sponge VS Dough, link to Pate Fermentee VS Poolish VS Biga VS Sourdough Starter, Stand Mixer (KitchenAid Type All Purpose Mixer). Second, to the wet ingredients, add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and salt. The speed of your actions when handling your sourdough makes all the difference. 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. If your dough is too dry, add a little moisture and mix it, adding just a little more water if necessary. One of the most obvious causes of wet dough is using too much water in the dough. 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. Rest uncovered for 25 minutes. Sourdough made with bread flour can take up to 6 hours to cool properly. This is really only an issue once you've done bulk fermentation and you are trying to shape your dough. Once one side is stretched and dusted, you should shape the dough and put it into your banneton. Steaming is one of the most crucial steps when baking bread. So you __may__ need a longer bake, which will mean a lower temp. Only add more flour if it remains excessively moist or sticky after youve kneaded it in. Id recommend picking up one metal and at least one plastic scraper to aid you in handling your sourdough. sourdough after baking. Your sourdough starter is not ready to bake with yet and needs some time to mature or you need to take steps to strengthen it. Some things to have on hand to work with really wet dough are: So how do you fix wet and sticky sourdough? Sometimes removing the bread out of the Dutch oven and baking it on the shelf for the last few minutes has a positive effect. 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. Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread | EmilyFabulous 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. Try placing your dough in warmer area of your kitchen (75F-80F is ideal) - monitoring your final dough temperature to keep it as consistent as possible - or consider investing in a bread proofing box . In a separate smaller bowl, add 220 grams of warm water. Once you get the hang of the sourdough process and the various phases, then start introducing whole grain flours into the mix. A tell tale sign that you haven't let your bread cool properly is having a "sticky" knife when you remove it from your bread. Wetting your hands before handling your sticky dough is a game-changer. The answer to this really depends on what is causing your dough to be so sticky and wet. Salthand-mixed, Rubaud style, for 5 minutes. It's a good thing for bread dough, but it also means that it makes the mess you're attempting to clean up extra sticky and impossible to clean up . Stir together until the starter is dissolved and the water looks cloudy. This allows the dough to absorb the water into the flour and start to form gluten strands that hold the bread together. Seeded Multigrain Sourdough Bread | Vanilla And Bean Spelt Sourdough Bread: The Ultimate Guide to Health and Flavor This part is extremely important as its what determines whether you end up with a well-shaped sourdough or a mess. Flour Cleaning: How to Clear the Dough After Baking - Food & Wine The water almost wholly stops the sticking, so you dont have to worry about messing up your dough. In other cases, the issue is the recipe. Mix by hand until all the dry flour is incorporated. Score the top of your loaf using a sharp knife, razor or lame. The bassinage technique is used to help build the dough up to the desired high level of hydration in stages. When mixing, hold back a portion of the intended total water quantity called for in the formulation. 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. A basic sourdough is made with only wheat flour, sometimes just white flour and sometimes a combination of whole wheat flour and white flour. Similarly, if your sourdough starter is too runny you may also end up with a super wet dough. Why Is My Sourdough Too Sticky? Here's What To Do SOLUTION - extend your bulk fermentation to enable the yeast in your dough to release some of their energy before hitting the oven. bread sticky after baking. Stir vigorously until combined; it might look like a sticky, thick dough. SOLUTION - Allow your bread to cool for AT LEAST 90 minutes (much longer for rye bread). Shape into batards. This makes it easier to handle. 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. All original site content copyright 2023 The Fresh Loaf unless stated otherwise. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'crustylabs_com-box-4','ezslot_1',121,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-crustylabs_com-box-4-0');It is completely normal for very high hydration doughs at more than 75% hydration to feel excessively slack, wet and sticky after the mixing phase. Here are some of the problems that can cause wet and sticky sourdough: Many people say "just use wet hands" if your dough is super sticky or wet. Bake in a Dutch Oven. The dough should be a little sticky before you start kneading it. 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. 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. This arguably makes the dough easier to work with. Jack Sturgess. It really depends on where you are in the sourdough process. The uneven crumb occurs because fermentation has not been long enough to allow the gases produced by the yeast to evenly distribute, resulting in some larger holes (generally in the middle). Unfortunately, this results in tougher bread. This is the most comprehensive and easily understandable explanation of sourdough I have read. 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. Bread flour. I hardly ever bake with BF or AP, but I think you might want to try something in the range of 75% to start. Instructions. Help! My Sourdough is Too Wet and Sticky - Crusty Labs 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. Then, introduce the remaining water in stages and mix only until the water is incorporated into the dough. The water absorbed from the damaged starches is then gradually released and the dough that was initially dry and strong becomes wet, sticky and weak over time. This method involves mixing the dough so the flour is fully hydrated before performing a series of stretch and folds. Sourdough: Hard crust, sticky tacky insides after baked! 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 While sourdough is a wetter, stickier dough than what you may be used to, it should still be able to be stretched, folded and shaped without too many issues. Hi, I'm Kate! 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. High hydration can be anything with 70% water content or higher. I have done wetter doughs at similar times/temps without the gumminess but I take your point - your lower/slower suggestion makes sense to me and I may well try that on my next go-round. If youre struggling with high hydration dough, then you should absolutely lower the hydration and see if you get better results. Thank you for the pointers, will be reducing the temperature to allow a longer bake the next round! A hollow sound indicates that it's cooked. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Also, remember that sourdough is extra sticky when the gluten isnt fully developed. Gluten is the foundation for good bread, so you wont get very far if its not developed. Sourdough can be a little tricky as it can take time for the flour to absorb the water during the autolyse process. The bread is heavy, hasn't puffed up in the oven and has a moist, dense texture inside. Rest uncovered for 25 minutes. The only issue with this is that the oil will mix in with the dough and alter the flavor, so dont use a type of oil you dont want to risk tasting in the end product.Some people suggest waiting for dough to rise. Cover with cling film and let rest in the fridge for 12-15 hours. Why Is My Sourdough Bread Gummy? - Busby's Now it is the sourdough starter or its use that is suspect. Evenly roll out your small 2- to 4-ounce balls into small circles a scant quarter inch thick. #1 Sourdough Bread Baking 101 - The Baking Network The solution here is to either use the exact same flour the recipe requires or adjusting hydration levels, watching the dough instead of ingredient ratios. First, it's helpful to have a small bowl of water nearby to dip your hands into before touching your dough. Also check the temperature of your fridge to ensure it's 4C or under. It might be that your sourdough is too sticky because there is insufficient gluten development. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This method works better with slack dough anyway. One solution is to use a wet dough cutter or scraper. Temperature is one of the most important factors when making sourdough. First, in the evening, prepare the soaker by pouring hot water over the mixture of seeds and grains. How to handle sticky, wet . Bake in a preheated 425F oven for about 45 minutes, until bread tests done. This is the sourdough baking course you need if you are just starting out in sourdough bread baking. I find that I need to bake the moisture out before the top crust gets too hard and seals in the moisture, and if that happens then you just end up over-baking the crust while it's still gummy inside. You want to be fast enough to limit any sticking, but not too fast or you might make a mess. Similarly, the reason we use baking parchment paper when baking is to minimize the use of additional flour in the baking process. Place in bannetons. . I bake at 525F, sometimes 550. 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. 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. I think it's quite common to get some stickiness if you are slicing fairly soon after the end of bake. Take the temp before cutting into it. It is often easier to make. So that should work out to (282+45)/(390+45)=75%. However, it shouldnt be so sticky that it is hard to knead. Let the integrated flour-and-water mass sit for up to an hour. Sticky Sourdough after baking | The Fresh Loaf You/we need a hydration % of the levain too, to figure out how much flour and how much water is in the levain. The science of making sourdough bread Pour the hot water from the kettle into the tray to create steam and shut the door. Gently turn the dough out onto a separate floured flat baking tray (not preheated). It may just be that you need to leave it in the oven longer with the lid off your. Bread needs gluten development in order to trap gas and rise, but this also helps the dough to become less sticky. Ensure that your dough is well fermented prior to shaping. 16 hour cold (38F) retard, in closed plastic bags. Without these it will be sloppy and hard to handle. Using too much water for the amount of flour you're using will result in a wet dough that's really hard to handle. The only solution for this is to toss your dough and put your time into strengthening and maturing your sourdough starter. Sometimes white bread, while initially fine, after a few days becomes sticky inside as if its going back to a dough-state, though not quite. 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. . From a gummy crumb to a lack of rise and everything in between. Turn out to lightly floured counter, divide into 2, preshape. Mix until no dry patches remain. Your bread may still be sticky after baking if it has been underbaked, has too much water in it, or has had problems with gluten development in the dough. CAUSE - Spreading can be caused by a few factors including under fermented or over fermented dough as well as poor shaping technique. Ensuring that you a strong gluten network is also essential in aleviating this issue. Nor should it be sticky after youve baked it. CAUSE - the dough has been over fermented and/or over proofed and has too much air trapped in the shaped dough. Home Why Is My Sourdough Too Sticky? Q: My dough is too slack and is not developing good strength. Damaged starch particles also varies from one milling facility to another. There are generally two causes of this (it can be a combination of both): SOLUTIONS - Depending on which of the above has caused your gumminess, you can fix by: PROBLEM - Your bread dough spreads and loses shape when you flip it out of the banneton to bake. If those figures do not include your levain, then you have at least 77% final hydration assuming a levain of 100% hydration. Overnight Sourdough Bread - The Pantry Mama 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. If you are doing decorative scoring, it's still advisable to have one "utility" score and then your more shallow, decorative scoring. Dough is sticky and wet from under mixing as insufficient gluten network is developed to hold in the water molecules. An under fermented sourdough loaf will have a shiny, pale crust that lacks crunch. You should aim to handle your dough more like that as you get more practice. Then, mix in 70 grams of active sourdough starter. It's best to choose a higher protein flour, such as a bread flour. But we are utterly puzzled by the outcome again. Sourdough made with bread flour can take up to 6 hours to cool properly. Different types of flour all have the ability to absorb different amounts of water, so the flour youre using might be making stickier sourdough than it should. #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. Without salt, the dough becomes sticky and slack in nature, making it difficult to work with. And where in the process the wet, sticky dough is a problem. This is the dry mixture. Instructions. Place on a floured cake or bowl with a tea towel and fold over. Alternatively if you want to use all purpose flour, you'll need to reduce the hydration of your dough. I would like to share with you what I have learnt from the many hours spent researching and testing these baking techniques myself. If you are new to sourdough bread baking, I recommend reducing the hydration (ie. Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe - A Beautiful Plate Sourdough Bread | The Splendid Table Hi @Semolina, we waited only an hour before cutting into it, hasty on our part! Autolyse for an hour before adding the starter (rest 30m) and salt (rest 15m) all by hand using the folding and pinching method. Sourdough Hydration Explained (What, Why, How & When) Thank you for going the extra mile to check the recipe! Your dough might be too sticky because you added too much water when making the initial mix, too. Bread SOS Episode 5: STICKY / TACKY Sourdough Crumb. Simply combine your flour and water before any of the other ingredients, fully incorporating the flour. Start by swapping out 12-15% of the white flour for whole grain flours; then increase to 25% (and so on) if you are happy with the results. 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. 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. Add the flour and mix well with the dough whisk or your hands until you have a shaggy, slightly sticky dough. When it comes to building the gluten, everyone has a different preference in how to do it. This could be a result of problems with a thermostat, heating element, or possibly the timer. 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. It has a more uniform appearance than a quick bread, and it cant leave you with a nasty chemical aftertaste. The Fresh Loaf is not responsible for community member content. Also, if you find the outside is brown and the inside is moist, that normally indicates you should lower the baking temp. When water is excessively soft, the lack of minerals results in a sticky andslack dough. Third, mix in the soaker, mixing and incorporating the grains and seeds into . You'll find a full guide to all purpose flour vs bread flour here. Mix until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl . 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. Why is my sourdough so sticky? | Alexandra's Kitchen stickiness is usually not cooking off enough moisture. And then mix in the other ingredients and forge ahead. We retarded the dough for 16 hours. If you find your sourdough bread dough is too sticky when you are dividing and preshaping, it might be because it's over hydrated, under strengthened, or under proofed. However, it is possible to get sticky sourdough that is hard to get out of the pan or cut into pieces. Im the face behind The Pantry Mama and I want to help you bake delicious sourdough bread, no matter what your schedule. Place the sourdough into the pot using the silicone sling or parchment paper as a handle. Too much dusting of flour can also reduce stickiness to the point where sufficient skin tension is not able to be developed. Carefully make it round again pushing the seams underneath. It's wider on the bottom and almost pointy at the top, rather than having a rounded shape. Under mixing and over mixing results in insufficient gluten strands to trap water inside the dough, causing the dough to be wet and sticky. Often the bottom of your sourdough is burning. Charlie was a little better probably because we increased the bake time, but the higher hydration did it in. We will hold back from slicing it too early the next time!! Pate Fermentee VS Poolish VS Biga VS Sourdough Starter. If your dough is dry, it is because you added too much flour. Add in your white and whole wheat flours. "Final" or "overall" hydration is supposed to include both the water and the flour in the levain. Bread mix, all-purpose flour, self-raising flour or cake flour can produce undesirable results when making sourdough. When I first started baking, everything that could go wrong, went wrong; it felt borderline alchemy to me. Excess flour at shaping can mean that your dough does not seal back onto itself, causing tunnels of air to form when baking. The loaf will also feel light in your hand, rather than heavy. Think about how professional bakers look when handling their dough. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar and place your bread directly on the oven rack. More noticeable sour taste, possibly unpleasant. 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. You see, when your hands are wet, the dough cannot stick to them easily, so it just slips right through them. We can prevent wet sourdough from sticking by oiling our work surfaces, using wet hands to handle the dough and dusting the proofing containers. Alternatively, you could add a little oil to the work surface and your hands. 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. Bread has been baked too soon after shaping / under proofed. The difference between wet dough being successful and wet dough being a big sloppy mess is dough strength. Place a small oven-safe cooking pot (6x6-inches) with a metal lid into the oven and preheat to 450 F. Gently place dough with parchment paper into the pot. However, you should avoid using a mixer to do this, because it can overheat the dough and break down the gluten strands. 2. Factors like temperature, humidity, air pressure and elevation play a role here. Many people use food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of their bread. Remove the potion from the refrigerator before chopping and boiling it. Step 3 - Total amount of flour is 80 grams + 600 grams = 680 grams. At the same time, we should dust the work surface lightly during shaping as we need some level of stickiness and friction between the dough and the work surface to create sufficient skin tension. Mix everything together. Is rye flour good for . @halfbakedharvest.com Cheaters No Knead Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread. Lets look at some of the common problems with sourdough bread and how to deal with them. But if you leave the flour, water, starter and salt to autolyse, the flour absorbs all the water and becomes fully hydrated. Flour issues. 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. It is normal when working with dough of very high hydration for it to feel quite wet and sticky after it has finished mixing. The usual choice of flour for dusting includes bread flour, rice flour, semolina; all these flour works just as well for preventing sourdough from sticking. full guide to stopping your sourdough bread from collapsing here, Flavored Sourdough: How To Make Additions To Sourdough Bread. Two things - the hydration listed (390g flour and 350g water) is way too high for almost any bread that's not 100% whole wheat. Thanks for the tip! Beginner bakers are best to start off with low to medium hydration dough before moving onto high hydration. 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. 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? The chains of gluten give your dough strength and structure. Sometimes the issue is the kneading technique. Levain hand-mixed, Rubaud style, for 5 minutes. The gluten network serves to provide structure and strength to the dough but it also plays an important role in containing and holding water and moisture. I went here and checked the recipe -https://www.abeautifulplate.com/artisan-sourdough-bread-recipe/ it called for 350 BF and 90 WW, for a total of 440, plus 45 from the starter ( which was 100% hydration) for a total of 485. Why Is My Sourdough Dough So Sticky? How To Handle It - Breadopedia.com So I suspect a miscalculation, and you might actually be doing 80% final hydration. A large mixing bowl A round cane banneton 2 clean tea towels A Dutch oven, La Cloche or bread pan A large heatproof pan, a sharp knife or 'lame' to slash the dough with. Step 4: Bake. Combine the starter, water, rye flour and 1 cup of the bread flour. This can result in your dough feeling wetter and stickier than normal. SOLUTION - Lack of oven spring can be a complex problem. PROBLEM - My sourdough bread has an unusual cone shape after baking. PROBLEM - Pale crust hasn't browned. If the dough breaks before you can pull it so thin that you can see the light, resume kneading.