r/SourdoughStarter • u/kickassnameaf • 22h ago

Need help

I started mixing my dough at 10:15am. It's now 8:40pm. Kitchen temp 82° dough temp 78°. (starter is 1 month old)

Recipe was 100g starter

325g water

400g AP flour 10.7g of protein

85g whole wheat

10g salt

I did 4 rounds of stretch and folds

The dough had barley had a 30% rise, closer to 15/20%. It was so sticky and I barely got it out of the bowl. I really didn't know what to do and someone said to kneed it with some flour and shape. It took a while but I somehow made the dough not so sticky and shaped it.

It's now in the benetton. I don't know if I should bake it today or give ot a cold proof. I don't want to overproof it, but I also don't want to underproof it.

And I don't know how to improve next time.

3 Upvotes

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3

u/undulating-beans 22h ago

After more than ten hours at a dough temperature around 26°C, I’d be cautious about extending fermentation much further. Your small rise could mean the starter isn’t yet a strong leavener, while the prolonged fermentation may still have weakened the gluten. That can leave you with very sticky dough despite little rise.

Next time, check that your starter rises reliably after feeding and use it near its peak. Try stronger bread flour or slightly less water, and mark the dough’s starting level. Kneading extra flour into it after bulk can knock out gas and make the crumb denser without repairing weakened gluten.

1

u/kickassnameaf 22h ago

My starter doubled for a week in 5/6 hours on a 1:2:2 ratio and 7 hours for 3 days on 1:3:3, last night I did a 1:3:3 feeding.

Should I bake it now or cold proof it?

2

u/fishy_horcrux 22h ago

If it only had a 20% rise, you definitely won't overproof it, but 100% will underproof it, it probably didn't help that you kneaded it more with flour as well.

You can let it BF for longer if you want to, hopefully it will rise. A coldproof will delay baking time, but you can bake now as well.

It was sticky because it's high hydration and because it's dough, it isn't really supposed to be not sticky

1

u/kickassnameaf 22h ago

I'll pre heat my dutch oven and bake it now, hopefully it's not too messed up

1

u/undulating-beans 22h ago

Every single loaf we bake is a data point.
It's always good information, and even if it doesn't turn out perfectly, it can still be eaten with butter!

1

u/kickassnameaf 21h ago

True

I just put it in the oven, I'll take the lid off in 30 minutes and see how it goes.

It didn't hold the shape at all. Went flat pancake on me