If you can see the light through the dough, youre done the kneading. Now it is the sourdough starter or its use that is suspect. A tough crust can also be caused by a lower hydration recipe. The bacteria produce both lactic acid and acetic acid. In this blog we will explore what causes wet, sticky dough and how to fix the issue so you can bake amazing sourdough bread. Id recommend keeping a bowl of water next to your dough at all times so its always there when you need it. Instead, stretch and fold it. Day 1 - The Start. Gluten development is strengthened by adding salt to your dough, so don't forget to do this! The more gluten it contains, the better it holds together. Plastic and metal dough scrapers are useful tools and both have their own pros and cons. Add a little flour and knead it a few times to make it more manageable. The problem with damaged starches comes from the over absorption of water. It might be that your sourdough is too sticky because there is insufficient gluten development. Sourdough does not stop cooking when you take it out of the oven. Meanwhile chop the cranberries. First, in a large mixing bowl, whisk the starter, water, orange zest and juice, and maple syrup or honey. More noticeable sour taste, possibly unpleasant. Always taste the mix to be sure that salt has been added before mixing. If youre using a lot of wholewheat, youre going to be left with a very sticky dough, especially if its paired with high hydration. 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. Shape into batards. When working with high hydration level dough, the dough gets very close to the point of 100% saturation from the high quantity of water, and it is difficult to get any more water to be incorporated into the dough. Over time, youll learn new techniques and better ways of handling sticky dough and youll find it much easier to handle. Modified: Dec 27, 2022 by The Pantry Mama This post may contain affiliate links. This method works better with slack dough anyway. 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. Sourdough bread offers a number of benefits. Excess flour at shaping can mean that your dough does not seal back onto itself, causing tunnels of air to form when baking. We know that flour is essential, but you need to make sure that youre using it correctly for the best results. One of the most obvious causes of wet dough is using too much water in the dough. Add the sourdough starter to a large mixing bowl. Let your sourdough bread come to room temperature before you cut into it. Generally, flat loaves will still taste ok, they just lack that beautiful airiness we want to see in our sourdough. "Final" or "overall" hydration is supposed to include both the water and the flour in the levain. Maybe tomorrow but it can also be the day after tomorrow. I bake at 525F, sometimes 550. Combine the starter, water, rye flour and 1 cup of the bread flour. Once the dough doesn't tear when you stretch it between your fingers, you're ok to set it aside for bulk fermentation. Bread (well anything really) continues to cook for some time after it comes out of the oven and, although it is hard to resist, if you cut the bread while it is still hot, the starches will not have completed setting and the crumb will be soft and seem a little 'doughy'. Damaged starch particles also varies from one milling facility to another. It may just be that you need to leave it in the oven longer with the lid off your. Yeast and bacteria prefer warmer temperatures. 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. The chains of gluten give your dough strength and structure. You want to be fast enough to limit any sticking, but not too fast or you might make a mess. If the dough breaks before you can pull it so thin that you can see the light, resume kneading. 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. 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. STEP THREE: Stir down the starter, then mix 1/3 cup of sourdough starter (90 grams) with water (385 grams) using a fork. If your dough is too dry, add a little moisture and mix it, adding just a little more water if necessary. 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. When mixing, hold back a portion of the intended total water quantity called for in the formulation. The flour will absorb water and become incorporated during the stretches and folds. 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. 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 . Your email address will not be published. Always shape your loaf on a piece of non-stick, silicone paper, then when it's proved, stick it straight onto the hot stone and reduce the temperature of the oven down to around 180-200C. 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. 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. Dough is sticky and wet from under mixing as insufficient gluten network is developed to hold in the water molecules. This will give the sourdough a chance to find new pockets of sugars and starches to consume. But if you leave the flour, water, starter and salt to autolyse, the flour absorbs all the water and becomes fully hydrated. 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. Start taking internal temp at 45 min total time, and then allow 7 or 8 minutes for every degree it needs to come up. If you're still unsure a good thing to do is to let your bread cool in your oven. 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. Cover with cling film and let rest in the fridge for 12-15 hours. For example a gummy crumb can be caused by a starter that's too young and or under fermented dough. 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. High temperatures can cause premature over fermentation, which will result in wet, sticky sourdough. The recipe I followed was from "a beautiful plate". Instead of kneading your dough manually for 8-10 minutes, youd be better off using a series of stretch and folds to develop gluten. To achieve a 75% hydration I will attempt again with the following: 390g of flour mix to 282g of water, adding on 90g of starter (at 100% hydration as I always to a 1:1 flour water ratio feed). Mix with the paddle on low speed until it forms a thick batter. Flour issues. You see, when your hands are wet, the dough cannot stick to them easily, so it just slips right through them. Wet hands are a good idea when handling dough, however you should be able to shape your dough with dry hands very easily. The problem here is, there's not a lot you can do with over fermented dough. I hardly ever bake with BF or AP, but I think you might want to try something in the range of 75% to start. And sometimes the issue is the recipe. 16 hour cold (38F) retard, in closed plastic bags. You just want to make sure it's not too wet for you to handle. All Purpose flour is ok, however it generally doesn't have the protein necessary to develop a strong gluten network. However, sourdough hydration levels can be pushed past 100% with the right technique which we will discuss in the subheading below. Be confident in your actions. 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. 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. Bake the sourdough bread. - longer waiting period before cutting --> this to me seems where you should start. Help! BAKE YOUR SOURDOUGH Preheat your oven to 450F (230C) half an hour before the end of proving. Thanks @Barryval and @ifs201! The bacteria on the other hand create a sour taste and ferment the bread. Instructions. It can be caused by over fermenting or under fermenting your dough, but also by other things like shaping issues. Extend your bulk fermentation time. Make the Dough: Meanwhile, in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the boiling water, pumpernickel, oil, salt, molasses, instant coffee, and chocolate. A good example of a low protein flour is general wholewheat flour. Stretch dough into rough 10"x17" rectangle, laminate and move to clean vessel for bulk. The reason most recipes are so high in hydration is that more water in the dough makes it easier to have a lighter, more open crumb, and a better crust, so its favored by most bakers. If you're looking for troubleshooting your sourdough starter - you'll find a list of the most FAQ here. Bread has been baked too soon after shaping / under proofed. Another reason we want to minimize dusting is because the additional flour from dusting is not well hydrated and when baked can leave unsightly gray streaks on your sourdough bread that taste raw. Thank you for the pointers, will be reducing the temperature to allow a longer bake the next round! Under mixing and over mixing results in insufficient gluten strands to trap water inside the dough, causing the dough to be wet and sticky. stickiness is usually not cooking off enough moisture. In a large bowl, combine 350 g of water with the sourdough starter, stir to dissolve the starter. It has a more uniform appearance than a quick bread, and it cant leave you with a nasty chemical aftertaste. Just dont freeze it. Loaf In a small mixing bowl, mix the flour and salt together thoroughly. Wet, sticky dough can be super messy - and preventing mess in the kitchen is always a good thing! 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. If your dough is dry, it is because you added too much flour. Let's dive into each of these reasons and see how you can avoid or correct the situation. Rest uncovered for 25 minutes. But we are utterly puzzled by the outcome again. As gluten develops more readily in a drier environment, this method allows the extra hydration to be easily incorporated into the dough. Only add more flour if it remains excessively moist or sticky after youve kneaded it in. 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. Other ingredients, like honey, may also make your sourdough 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. 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. This arguably makes the dough easier to work with. If your dough does not develop a sufficient gluten network, it will be wet, sticky and have no structure. Second sign: The dough has become loose and slack, and doesn't seem to hold any kind of shape. Baking parchment paper is characteristic for its non stick ability without the need for any dusting of flour or oiling. Some people add too much water to compensate. 14. Once you get it all set to go try this delicious Sourdough Focaccia recipe yum! Your guide to solving sourdough bread problems. 310-330 . 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. When the percentage of damaged starch particles in flour exceeds 10%, your dough will become wetter and stickier over time. 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. Many start at 400 F and drop to 375 F at some point during the baking. While the dough is proofing, preheat your oven to 230 C (450 F) and place your Dutch oven inside to preheat as well. Is Cake Flour The Same As Self-Rising Flour? Thank you for visiting! CAUSE - Spreading can be caused by a few factors including under fermented or over fermented dough as well as poor shaping technique. It affects pretty much every part of the process. You can get the tool under the dough so you can pick it up or manipulate it. Signs of over-proofing are: A huge puffy ball of dough after the end of the rising time. You ideally want to achieve a window pane. Without salt, the dough becomes sticky and slack in nature, making it difficult to work with. How Long Does Cookie Dough Last in the Fridge. Using too much water for the amount of flour you're using will result in a wet dough that's really hard to handle. Under fermentation causes a pale crust because it doesn't enable caramelisation of the sugars in the dough. CAUSE - This odd shape is caused by under fermentation. Over fermentation is a cause of wet, sticky dough. So I suspect a miscalculation, and you might actually be doing 80% final hydration. Thanks guys!!! No matter how long you leave it to ferment, the yeast and bacteria won't actually grow or change. Sourdough that has hydration levels of more than 72% tends to be sticky and tears apart easily when it is handled. 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. 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. Turn out on to a surface and knead for 10 minutes or until the 'windowpane effect' is . Make the dough. And dont let it sit in the fridge so long that it dries out. When it comes to building the gluten, everyone has a different preference in how to do it. Use mineral water of a known hardness or test your tap water to be sure that your water has the appropriate hardness level for bread baking. You just need to reduce the heat on the base of your Dutch Oven or baking tray. This will ensure that the bread is cooked all the way through. Though my guess is, that if you are getting the internal final temp to 211 F (even 210 F is usually good enough even for a mostly whole grain loaf)and it's still gummy, then your hydration was too high to start with. 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. Remove the potion from the refrigerator before chopping and boiling it. Don't close the oven door or the crust will become soft and wrinkly. Id recommend picking up one metal and at least one plastic scraper to aid you in handling your 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. If you do have a watery starter, you'll need to adjust the amount of water in your dough or set about finding a solution to thicken it up. Is rye flour good for . Approximate size of sourdough bread: Approximate cooling time: small dinner rolls: 30 minutes: small white loaf (1 lb): 4 hours: large white loaf (1.5 lb): 8 hours: small wholegrain loaf (1lb): 5 hours Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Insufficient gluten development is what makes the dough so sticky, so if youre using a low protein flour (protein in flour creates gluten), it wont be able to create as much gluten in the dough and it will, therefore, be stickier. Mix dry ingredients together. The Fresh Loaf is not responsible for community member content. Another tactic is chilling the dough for a while. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Alternatively, you could add a little oil to the work surface and your hands. Unfortunately, this results in tougher bread. So if you're over-shooting the original formula's hydration due to miscalculattion, that would be the first thing to correct. Over time, youll become more confident and comfortable working with dough, so you can gradually increase the hydration and get better at handling it. One should be sticky, and one should be dusted with flour. You can still bake it and eat it, but it will be a solid mass, not the light, airy sourdough you were expecting. This blog contains scientific explanation on all matters related to baking written in simple words; I hope you will find something useful here and leave as a better baker. Then the dough is less likely to stick to them. Maybe 80% final hydration if your levain is more "liquid" than 100% Hyd. The loaf will also feel light in your hand, rather than heavy. The dough that is autolysed also contains more gluten strands which is able to trap more water inside the dough. 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. 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). Send your . 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. It is normal when working with dough of very high hydration for it to feel quite wet and sticky after it has finished mixing. Im the face behind The Pantry Mama and I want to help you bake delicious sourdough bread, no matter what your schedule. Youll notice that you can stretch the dough further and less will cling to your hands by the time youre done. 25 minute proof at room temperature. Cover and let the dough double in size, about 12 to 16 hours. But as it cooled, the crust wrinkled and collapsed what happened? This allows them to get an understanding of how to handle basic dough before moving onto something more tricky. The only time I wouldnt recommend using wet hands is during shaping. You should also wet your hands with cold water before folding the dough. Thanks for the tip! Cut one loaf of sourdough bread into 1" cubes. But what if your dough is really wet and sticky and you just can't do anything with it? 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). If it sticks at this stage, youll have a much more difficult time and it could throw of the results of your bread. Your email address will not be published. The only solution for this is to toss your dough and put your time into strengthening and maturing your sourdough starter. If you are working with regular dough, ready How to Fix Super Sticky Dough. Many people use food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of their bread. If youre going from low hydration (60-65%) bread dough to a sourdough (65-80%) hydration, youre most probably not going to know how to handle it properly. The side thats dusted with flour is the only side that you or anything else touches. This is the dry mixture. A starter is a collection of yeast and bacteria that feed on flour. Starting at a lower hydration (70% is good) is best for beginners. 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? Factors like temperature, humidity, air pressure and elevation play a role here. On the other hand, rye sourdough is a bread that starts with sourdough starter instead of yeast but has at least some rye flour. We should aim to minimize the use of dusting flour in the baking process as the introduction of additional flour into our mix can significantly change the hydration level of the dough, resulting in a crumb that is drier and denser. Semolina (used for dusting pizza dough) however is much coarser in texture and it really comes down to your personal preference; if you like the coarse texture by all means go for it. 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 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. High hydration can be anything with 70% water content or higher. Place in bannetons. Your dough might be too sticky because you added too much water when making the initial mix, too. Carefully make it round again pushing the seams underneath.