Over Proofed

May 04, 2020

Over Proofed

This weekend I was overproofed, or in other words, deflated.
Sourdough is SUCH a great teacher for how to balance life; patience, being well feed, getting enough (fresh) air, a good mixture, time, "know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em," and when to stop, pause and breathe. Ok, enough of this metaphorically business, what I'm trying to say is this: Don't over proof your sourdough! ...or yourself.

What does it mean to over-proof your sourdough?
You know when your starter naturally rises when it's fed, and then falls when it's consumed all of its food? It begins to go flat. So it is with the final bulking (or resting) stage of your dough - otherwise known as 'floor time.' If left out too long to rise on the counter and it's not caught at just the right time, it can completely deflate and will refuse to spring up in the oven -looking more like a flat pancake.
Here's another definition I came across; "Over-proofing happens when dough has proved too long and the air bubbles have popped. You'll know your dough is over-proofed if, when poked, it doesn't springs back." Also this; "One of the major signs of over proof dough is the smell. If your dough smells a bit like alcohol..." Ok, maybe I could omit that line.
But all jokes aside, over-proofing is a serious thing for bakers and it's a real issue when it comes to life's delicate balance.
Last week was invigorating, exciting, soul cleansing, heartwarming - and exhausting. With over 20 bread orders, a few painting projects, a Chiropractic appointment for Arla, loads of breadmaking, soap making and delivery, a tutorial with Vanessa Kimbell my Sourdough teacher in the UK, and more conversations than an introvert can handle on a "normal" week, I was over proofed. Much like a over-proofed loaf of sourdough, I over did it and ended up deflated. Yes, I was warned by several people, but when my adrenalin kicks in- oh man, look out! So this weekend I decided to take a rest from sourdough making and opted in for some much needed tidying and organizing, and more than a few extra naps.
Several lessons can be learned when you and your dough are over-proofed. One: slow down and pay attention. Two: notice the warning signs before it's too late (gently poke your dough, and if it doesn't spring back like it should, let it rest in the fridge and take better care next time). Three: if it's gone to the point of no return, it will still be great but don't expect it to be pretty. Four: maybe most important-don't give up. Take a break, refresh your starter, and learn from your last loaf.
In an attempt to take better care of myself and learn from my sourdough experiences, I did two things. First, I took a much needed break. From dough, from people and from social media (and took a Sabbath). And second, I bought an oven. Actually, I bought 3 ovens! I neglected to mention that this was also a part of my exciting week last week. To take the load off the time it takes to make bread in a week and save the life of my hard working oven, Shawn's genius idea materialized and we picked up my 'new' oven from another sourdough enthusiasts off Kijiji (from a safe distance of course). Now I just need to find an electrician to install it and a place to put it!
So after my few days of rest and coming back to life, I'm back in the kitchen making bread and taking better care to let the dough rest, rise and proof well - and letting the dough teach me the lessons I need to learn.

Happy baking everyone. Take care of yourselves and your dough, and it will take care of you.

xoHeather

PS. I often use music to pull myself back to life - and most occasions in fact. While mixing dough this afternoon, I hit the dough making playlist and this encouraging song clicked on. Always lands on exactly what I need:) Repeat.

Rise Up - Andra Day 🎶