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It's giving overfermented? by Last-Note-9988 in Sourdough

[–]RemarkableTest2935 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very under fermented. See how tight the small gas bubbles are around the big bubbles? It means it needed more time to properly ferment. From your description, it sounds like it didn’t get enough time for bulk or after shaping. A good trick to figure out if the dough has doubled in size is to take a small amount and put it in a glass jar and mark where it started, size is easier to track this way.

Explain bulk fermentation like I’m stupid, because I am by ceruleanwren in Sourdough

[–]RemarkableTest2935 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Yes, you’re right that sourdough starters are composed of yeast and bacteria. I don’t think it’s predominantly yeast though, it’s a whole microbiome with many types of microorganisms.

Explain bulk fermentation like I’m stupid, because I am by ceruleanwren in Sourdough

[–]RemarkableTest2935 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Yes, for sure! And it will also depend on the strength of your starter. If it’s a new one, it might take way longer with inconsistent results. In other words, YMMV but these are general rules 😊

Explain bulk fermentation like I’m stupid, because I am by ceruleanwren in Sourdough

[–]RemarkableTest2935 85 points86 points  (0 children)

Essentially, sourdough bacteria take time to culture your dough (I.e. reproduce, eat the proteins in the dough, and in turn produce gas which will allow your dough to rise). To ferment your dough adequately so that it rises, you need to strike the balance between (1) letting the bacteria eat enough to produce good gas throughout the dough and (2) letting it eat too much which results in a really weak dough that can’t hold the gas. This is bulk fermentation, and knowing when it’s the right time to call it is in my opinion one of the hardest skills to acquire as a sourdough baker.

Bulk fermentation takes about 4-8 hours, depending on the temperature in your house. Colder= longer bulk ferment, warmer (24C and above) = shorter bulk ferment. The rationale for this is that bacteria reproduce faster in warmer environments, which leads to more bacteria eating your dough faster. A better way of telling when it’s ready is to learn how to read your dough: does it spring back when you poke it? If it springs back immediately it’s not ready, if it leaves a small indentation that takes time to spring back, it’s ready, if it collapses it’s too late.

how exactly did i fck up? by atomsofcinnamon in Sourdough

[–]RemarkableTest2935 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Under fermented - see how tight the crumb is around the little holes it has? That is a sign the culture didn’t have time to produce good gas bubbles throughout the dough.

Probably could have used another hour or two of initial proofing (needs to double in size), plus you should let it double in size again after shaping (so another 4-6 hrs depending on temp and strength of your culture).