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Do I need more fermentation? Why my sourdough is flattened?

Seasoned Advice Asked on July 10, 2021

From a few weeks I’ve been trying to make sourdough. The most successful recipe for me and for the time I have I found is Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe using a stand mixer – Sourdough Lamination In the recipe it said that it needs 3 hours in room temperature + 30 min in refrigerator and then you bake.

Because I don’t have that time in one I leave it on the counter for 1 hour then let the sourdough in the refrigerator overnight (10 hours) and bake it in the morning. The whole wheat flour I use is with 13% protein.

I found the dough "flattened" and without so much holes and somehow I feel like it’s not so fermented. Is it possible for 10 hour fermentation in the refrigerator? How can I improve the dough and do I need more fermentation time maybe in room temperature? The dough is fine, not so wet it can be shaped. I added picture in the end to show what I mean.

The recipe is:

  • 200 g. white flour
  • 100 g. whole wheat flour
  • 240 g. water
  • 6 g salt
  • 90g starter
  • 40g pumpkin seeds

Totals:

  • 345 g flour (45 from starter)
  • 285 g water (45 from starter)
  • 2% salt
  • 82.6% hydration

enter image description here

One Answer

First of all, that's quite a decent looking loaf. It doesn't look dense or overly pancaked. The crumb is consistent, with good bubble formation. A lot of amateur bakers would be quite proud to achieve that result. So give yourself a pat on the back before you start trying to improve further.

Now, 82% hydration is quite high, even for a whole wheat loaf. High hydration free-form whole wheat loaves are notoriously difficult to shape well, simply because the dough is so loose. Careful shaping and skillful oven control (including steam) are necessary to get a good loft in those circumstances.

Now, three hours at room temperature is not enough time to develop significant sourdough taste. Neither is ten hours in the refrigerator. (Ten hours in a cool room would be closer.) As more fermentation occurs, however, the gluten structure will weaken, leading to a flatter loaf.

So overall, I'd suggest you try a lower hydration and a longer cold rest (but, if possible, at a slightly higher temperature than your refrigerator).

Answered by Sneftel on July 10, 2021

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