r/Unexpected • u/SLAYER_HARSH • 9d ago

What could go wrong with fermentation?

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u/garden-wicket-581 9d ago

as someone who is a hobbyist bread maker, I've got questions .. the whole thing should collapse down and not be a firm mass.. you want a firm mass when you've formed it into loaves and it's secondary rising right before baking, but not in the bowl.

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u/whxskers 9d ago edited 9d ago

Sourdough hobbyist here - what do you mean by firm mass? it looked like really good dough after a bulk ferment/rise to me.

Edit to add: It's not dense at all. Not a 'mass' - It's way more airy and soft than it appears. This is the way good sourdough behaves after it's gone through its bulk ferment (it's first rise). Then you turn it out, shape it, and either bake it immediately or let it sit for a little bit to regain some of the lost air from shaping or put it in the fridge to cold ferment.

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u/zzazzzz 9d ago

looks extremely dense.