November 28, 2024 - 9:18am
Underproofed bread and how to fix it
Hi, I haven't made bread is ages, and when I did it never really turned out well. I somehow managed to get that oven spring in this one. The sourdough flavour is a little strong, but not too bad. However, I think it's a little underproofed.
I used this recipe
- 500g bread flour
- 300g water (plus extra if needed)
- 10g salt
- 100g mature starter (suggested starter build 1:5:5 for 12 + hours overnight.
Any tips? I put it in the fridge around 6pm for overnight and cooked at 9am at 450 covered for 20 min and 425 for 35 min.
Thanks.
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Always hard to tell from a picture - but - how long was it out of the oven before you cut into it? Enjoy!
How long did you ferment it for before refrigeration and how much had it risen?
How fermented was your starter when you used it? Was it active and well risen or had it started to fall back?
My starter was pretty active, 1:5:5 is what I had been feeding it. I started at 9am and put it in the fridge around 6pm, it had risen maybe 30%.
It did give me a nice oven spring which I was surprised, I wasn't expecting that. I let it sit for about 1.5 before cutting into it.
Starter is 20% bakers percentages. With a healthy starter one should expect it to take around about 4 - 5 hours, give or take, when it should be ready to be shaped.
You left your dough for 9 hours! And it had only risen by about 30%. Plus, the resulting bread was very tangy.
I think it was under proofed, which can give good oven spring, but it sounds like your starter is not firing on all cylinders hence the long time it took and the overly tangy taste. Might point to a starter that is either too young or through maintenance method or other variable it is tipped in favour of the bacteria.
Next thing is to give a brief history of your starter.
Ok I thought maybe that was the case. It had been in the fridge for a few months. I took it out and then kept about 10g and feed it for a few days using the 1:5:5 ratio, I did that for a few days. Each time I did it, i would discard some, and then feed it, it would rise a little and very bubbly.
...after being in the fridge for a few months, to start off with a smaller feed and gradually increase it as it gets stronger. Go back to 1:1:1 and feed when it has peaked and just started to fall. If it can do that within 4-6 hours then increase to 1:2:2. If it can't then keep feeding it 1:1:1 till it speeds up and rises more. Increase the feeds to match the starter's strength. Then try again.
Don't use any steam - bake longer at the lower temp. Enjoy!
Gluten could use more development - more kneading
I would bake at a lower temperature for longer time - 430F for 50 minutes, then turn the oven off, crack the door open and let the loaf emit more moisture for 30-45 minutes.