Troubleshooting Common Problems
Every baker has a dense loaf story. Here's how to diagnose what went wrong — and how to make sure it doesn't happen twice.
My loaf is dense and gummy.
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Nine times out of ten this is under-fermentation. Extend your bulk ferment until the dough shows a 50–75% rise, small surface bubbles, and a jiggle when the bowl is nudged.
My dough is impossibly sticky.
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Check your flour's protein content (aim for 12%+), wet your hands rather than adding flour, and give the dough more time and folds to develop.
My starter isn't rising.
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It's likely cold or hungry. Move it somewhere warmer (75–78°F), feed it a 1:1:1 ratio of starter to flour to water, and be patient for 3–5 days.
My crust is pale.
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Your oven is not hot enough or the loaf came out too early. Bake at 250°C / 480°F with the lid on for 20 minutes, then lid-off until deeply mahogany.
The loaf spread flat when I turned it out.
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Over-proofed. Shorten your bulk ferment, use a cooler kitchen, or reduce hydration by 3–5%.
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