Under-Proofed or Over-Proofed

How can you tell if your dough is over or underproofed? 

Read or download the guide, “How to Read a Sourdough Crumb,” and watch the accompanying video (below on this page). 

“What is Proofing?”

“Proofing” is the general term for the overall fermentation of a loaf of sourdough.  It manifests itself in the way a loaf looks after baking.  In particular the crumb (the inside) of the loaf is often described as “under-proofed,” “over-proofed” or “nicely proofed.” 

Imagine you were teaching a group of high school students how to make scrambled eggs. Each student would present their eggs to you, and you would say the eggs are “underdone, overdone, or just right.”  It is the same idea.  But it is not related to how the dough “cooks,” it is related to how well it is fermented. 

Well-fermented dough has a light, airy, even crumb.  A well-fermented loaf has a tall shape.  Basically, the Instagram glamour shots of sourdough loaves are generally “perfectly proofed” loaves. Under and over-proofing results in dense, flat, unattractive loaves. 

But similar to scrambled eggs, there is point where they are just perfect, and you can learn the skill to repeat that every time.  That is the art of sourdough baking.  

Check out the videos and guides below for visual examples of how this works. 

It depends how far along it is. Try to shape the dough.  If it holds any shape on its own, bake it right away.  It will only get worse with more time. 

If you can fold it to get some height but it does not hold the shape of a freestanding loaf, put the dough into a loaf pan and bake it right away.  It will only get worse with more time.

If it does not hold any shape at all and you still want to save it, spread it in on a baking sheet, add herbs and olive oil and bake it like a focaccia. 

It usually does not help to try to add dry flour to overproofed dough.  You could try this, but results are very inconsistent.  Sometimes is better just to cut your losses rather than “throw good flour after bad,” so to speak. 

The Sourdough Journey specializes in answering this question.  Check out the video and guide below for one-of-a-kind tools to help sourdough bakers master bulk fermentation.  

No. If your loaves are overproofing, you need to reduce bulk fermentation time.  Once the dough goes into the fridge and drops to refrigerator temperature, the fermentation slows to a crawl.  So reducing that time from 14 hours to 10 hours, for example has almost no impact on the fermentation. 

If your loaves are overproofing, they are most typically already too far along coming out of bulk fermentation.  That is where the issue needs to be rectified.   

Here is an example of what a slightly overproofed loaf looks like when scoring the loaf, prior to baking: 

All of the examples shown in my videos and guides are using high protein bread flour (12%+ protein) and relatively high hydration of 75-78%.  

If you are using lower protein flour, such as all-purpose, or lower hydration (e.g., 70%), you will get a more closed crumb which can often be confused with over or underproofing.  

If you are trying to replicate the results shown here, always start with the same flour, hydration and process as the first step.  

Flying crust occurs when the crust separates from the crumb and creates a cavern between the top of the crumb and crust. 

Flying crust is usually caused by weak gluten or over-hydration.

Low-protein or stale flours tend to cause flying crust.  Also, each flour has a saturation point.  When you increase the hydration of your dough beyond the saturation point of the flour, this can also cause flying crust. 

Dense crumb can be caused my many factors.  Before assuming it is due to over or under-proofing, always first assess type of flour you are using and the hydration of your recipe.  

Low protein flour and/or low hydration will produce a dense crumb even if the loaf is perfectly fermented and proofed.  The flour and hydration ultimately set up the maximum potential openness of the crumb.   Certain flour and hydration combinations will never produce an open crumb, regardless of the best techniques being applied.  

Whole wheat flours and some flours such as spelt, einkorn and emmer, will generally produce a more closed crumb than “bread flours.”  

Hydration percentages below 70% typically produces a more closed crumb. 

It is easy to get “crumb envy” by looking at all of the spectacular loaves posted on Instagram.  And many baker’s doubt their technique when they are unable to replicated these loaves.  

However, the basis of every sourdough crumb is highly dependent on the flour (and the hydration).  It is impossible to produce the same crumb with a low-protein supermarket bread flour as with a high-protein, fresh-milled flour.  It is just impossible.  

I like to think of the flour (and it’s hydration) as setting up the “potential” for the crumb.  Then the fermentation and proofing help reveal that optimal potential.   But the optimal potential is limited by the type of flour used.  

No amount of technique, by the most skilled baker, can compensate for poor quality flour.