Rise to the challenge
You tasted a slice of amazing sourdough from a renowned bakery. You even bought their cookbook. You tried following all the steps. And yet, somehow your efforts fall flat. Don’t toss the dough out yet. Here’s how to troubleshoot and improve your skills to perfect your next batch.
Measurements
Unlike cooking, where ingredients can sometimes be measured by the naked eye, baking is an exact science. Each component comes together in specific ways, so it’s crucial to measure everything by the exact weight. Measuring spoons and cups differ depending on the country. For instance, in the U.K., a cup of water is 250ml, while a U.S. cup of water is 240ml. It may seem miniscule, but with enough margin of error from all the ingredients, the ratio of the dough will be off the mark. Check which exact measurements your recipes call for, or better yet, measure everything in grams.
Gluten Structure
With the advent of fad diets and rise of food intolerance, gluten is often painted as the bad protein that must be avoided at all costs. When it comes to breadmaking, however, it’s your best friend. The main protein in wheat flour blends with water to create gluten strands, which unravels to form a strong network when kneading – think of gluten as the equivalent of scaffolding in a building. When using a stand mixer, never set the speed on high. Sure, your ingredients get mixed into the dough faster, but a high speed tends to rip the gluten strands apart, preventing the network from developing. To test if enough gluten has developed, do the windowpane test. Grab a small ball of dough and stretch it with your fingers to form a square. If it doesn’t break, it’s done. Careful not to overwork your dough either; the network will be too strong and will result in a dense, tough crumb.
Proofing
Without this important step, we would all be eating pitas and flatbreads. As the yeast feeds on the starch in the dough, carbon dioxide is produced, which results in the dough expanding as air bubbles form. Gluten is important as well; the strands maintain a network over the bubbles, resulting in an airy and light crumb. Proofing can be tricky in Singapore, as our ambient temperature can be too high. The most ideal temperature range would be 24 to 26°C; too low and the process may take too long, too high and the dough may become too sour or even be unable to hold its structure. If your dough is rising too fast based on what the recipe states, don’t be afraid to pop it in the fridge for a few minutes to get the temperature just right.
Oven Spring
A crucial yet often overlooked part of the baking process, oven spring occurs within the first 10 minutes of being in the oven. The yeast lets out one last hurrah before it dies, resulting in one final rising within the bread. Even if the dough looks doubled and nicely risen, a lack of a good oven spring can still result in a flat final product. For the best results, steam is essential. As a better conductor of heat than dough, it creates a more consistent result by ensuring the centre of the dough is sufficiently heated for maximum oven spring. Use a Dutch oven for your bread (it helps to trap natural steam created during baking), or throw a couple of ice cubes in a tray on the bottommost rack.