Baking Tips & Troubleshooter
Troubleshooter
Click your problem:
Check your starter: does a spoonful float on water? If not, it's not active enough. Feed it twice a day until it doubles in 4-6 hours. Also: too cold? Fermentation slows below 18°C.
Work with wet hands and a dough scraper. Don't add more flour! Use coil folds instead of stretch & fold. Longer autolyse helps too.
Overproofed (risen too long) or insufficient gluten development. Check with poke test: springs back slowly = done. Doesn't spring back = too far. Springs back immediately = not ready.
Try higher hydration (+5%). Longer bulk fermentation. More/more intense stretch & folds. Make sure bulk has 50-75% volume increase.
Higher temperature, longer baking without lid, or leave bread in turned-off oven with door ajar for 10 min.
Lower temperature in phase 2, or cover with aluminum foil halfway. Check if your oven isn't too hot (oven thermometer!).
Score not deep enough, or dough had too much tension. Score deeper (1-1.5cm) and at a 45° angle.
Not fully baked (core temp should be 96-98°C) or cut too early. Wait at least 1 hour, preferably 2.
Shorter fermentation time, colder temperature, or use younger starter (just after feeding). Less starter helps too.
Tips per Phase
🧫 Starter
- Float test: a spoonful of starter in water, floats = active
- Doubled in 4-6 hours after feeding = at peak
- Collapsed after peak = more sour bread
- Keep a backup in the fridge for emergencies
💧 Autolyse
- Flour + water only, NO starter or salt
- Gluten develops without kneading
- Enzymes make the dough more supple
- 30-60 min standard, 90+ min for whole wheat
🙌 Stretch & Fold
- Wet your hands to prevent sticking
- Stretch until resistance, don't tear
- 4 sides: north, east, south, west
- Coil fold for wet dough: lift center, fold under
- After each set: dough becomes smoother and stronger
⌛ Bulk Fermentation
- 50-75% volume increase = done
- Clear container helps see rise
- Bubbles on side = active fermentation
- Dome on top = almost done
- Flat top = overproofed
🥖 Shaping
- Pre-shape: loose ball, not too tight
- Bench rest: 15-30 min uncovered
- Final shape: build tension with tight skin
- Seam side up in proofing basket
- Dust well with rice flour (doesn't stick)
🔥 Baking
- Preheat oven well: 45-60 min
- Preheat Dutch oven too
- Score quickly and confidently
- Steam = oven spring
- No steam = crispy crust
Result Tips
🎯 More open crumb
- Higher hydration (+5-10%)
- Longer bulk fermentation
- More stretch & folds
- Gentler shaping (less degassing)
- Higher oven temperature
🎯 More sour bread
- Longer cold proof (16-24 hours)
- Use starter past peak
- Higher fermentation temperature
- More rye in the mix
- Longer bulk
🎯 Milder bread
- Shorter fermentation time
- Young starter (just fed)
- More starter = done faster
- Lower temperature
- White flour only
🎯 Crispier crust
- Longer baking without lid
- Turn off oven, leave door ajar, 10 min
- Higher final temperature
- Cool bread on wire rack
Visual Cues
👀 Windowpane test
Stretch a small piece of dough thin. If you can see through it without tearing = gluten well developed.
👀 Poke test
Gently press the dough:
- Springs back immediately = not ready
- Springs back slowly = perfect
- Doesn't spring back = overproofed
👀 Bulk fermentation done
- 50-75% volume increase
- Bubbles visible on the side
- Slight dome on top
- Feels airy like a pillow
- Jiggly when you shake the bowl
👀 Well scored
- Score opens nicely during baking
- "Ear" forms (raised edge)
- No tears on the side
- Even opening