The bakers' thread

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Is it just me, but for some reason, my sourdough breads are just turning into plops.

Admittedly it's a new culture and I'm still learning its peculiarities (it makes fabby waffles btw) but am trying to figure out what's causing the dough to be a gooey, liquid, unhandleable mess. I have to flip it with a spatula like a no-knead bread, and then just pour it into the banneton. I don't get particularly good oven spring.

It's not overproved. I've a good handle on that as I always prove my dough in the same bowl and use the same quantity of flour.

All I can think of that's causing it is either the weather or the flour type. I'm using a 50-50 mix of atta and strong white at 65% hydration, which turns out a fabby bread usually. No problem with that when using yeast, even if it's only a couple of grammes.

Am starting to think that atta flour, with its lower protein levels, isn't terribly happy with the significantly longer bulk ferment.

The loaves *taste* amazing though, with a lovely tang to them.

Any ideas?
 

cambsno

Well-Known Member
Is it just me, but for some reason, my sourdough breads are just turning into plops.

Admittedly it's a new culture and I'm still learning its peculiarities (it makes fabby waffles btw) but am trying to figure out what's causing the dough to be a gooey, liquid, unhandleable mess. I have to flip it with a spatula like a no-knead bread, and then just pour it into the banneton. I don't get particularly good oven spring.

It's not overproved. I've a good handle on that as I always prove my dough in the same bowl and use the same quantity of flour.

All I can think of that's causing it is either the weather or the flour type. I'm using a 50-50 mix of atta and strong white at 65% hydration, which turns out a fabby bread usually. No problem with that when using yeast, even if it's only a couple of grammes.

Am starting to think that atta flour, with its lower protein levels, isn't terribly happy with the significantly longer bulk ferment.

The loaves *taste* amazing though, with a lovely tang to them.

Any ideas?

Same here - got going in lockdown and had a couple of decent loaves but most are just a bit flat with smallish air bubbles. Use a recipe of 375g flour with 250g of starter, prove for around 5 hours, shape and then prove again for around 12.
 
Location
Wirral
Same here - got going in lockdown and had a couple of decent loaves but most are just a bit flat with smallish air bubbles. Use a recipe of 375g flour with 250g of starter, prove for around 5 hours, shape and then prove again for around 12.
That reipe is missing a lot of water, about 175-200ml of it.
 

figbat

Slippery scientist
Same here - got going in lockdown and had a couple of decent loaves but most are just a bit flat with smallish air bubbles. Use a recipe of 375g flour with 250g of starter, prove for around 5 hours, shape and then prove again for around 12.
That sounds like a very long second prove - maybe it is over-prooving and collapsing? I tend to do a long proove on the first one, with the second one just long enough for a decent rise, often a much shorter time.

One thing that gets created during prooving is water - it is a by-product of the fermentation process.
 

cambsno

Well-Known Member
That sounds like a very long second prove - maybe it is over-prooving and collapsing? I tend to do a long proove on the first one, with the second one just long enough for a decent rise, often a much shorter time.

One thing that gets created during prooving is water - it is a by-product of the fermentation process.

Its a Paul Hollywood recipe- how long do you prove for?
 

figbat

Slippery scientist
I'll typically prove overnight on the first prove but the second one will be much shorter - a couple of hours or so dependent on how active the dough is and how quickly it rises to double volume. I have had some flops like you describe and I worked out that they were essentially left too long and collapsed.
 

benb

Evidence based cyclist
Location
Epsom
Some pretty nice baguettes.

534940
 

annedonnelly

Girl from the North Country
Someone on this thread mentioned Bake with Jack. Thanks!!

This is the result - English muffins


538966


538965


Just looking at the pics makes me want another one!
 
OP
OP
glasgowcyclist

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
Someone on this thread mentioned Bake with Jack. Thanks!!

This is the result - English muffins


View attachment 538966

View attachment 538965

Just looking at the pics makes me want another one!
I saw that recipe on his blog a couple of days ago too. Definitely going to try making those tomorrow but today I tried his recipe for a fruit loaf.

Tastes even better than it looks and when toasted it is just superb.
20200802_200246.jpg


I made two and it was a real struggle to give the other one to my neighbour.
 

annedonnelly

Girl from the North Country
I saw that recipe on his blog a couple of days ago too. Definitely going to try making those tomorrow but today I tried his recipe for a fruit loaf.

Tastes even better than it looks and when toasted it is just superb.
View attachment 539480

I made two and it was a real struggle to give the other one to my neighbour.
That looks really good!!

Probably just as well that I don't have all the ingredients handy :laugh:
 
OP
OP
glasgowcyclist

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
Someone on this thread mentioned Bake with Jack. Thanks!!

This is the result - English muffins

These were very tricky to bake, my cast iron pan was either too hot or too cold. Burnt the first one within 3 minutes (still ate it :smile:) and it wasn’t until the final pair of muffins that I think I got the temperature right.
I did the others partly in the pan and finished them in the oven, as Jack suggested.

Very tasty!

20200803_172734.jpg

539637

Yes, that’s the burnt one. :blush:
 
Top Bottom