How to Fix Sourdough Fails
I hear so many people talking about sourdough fails and they don’t know how to fix them. They blame themselves when it’s usually just an issue going on with their starter! From sourdough bread not rising to it being dense and gummy in the center. It can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! I’m sharing how to fix the most common issues to help you get back on track.
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How to Fix Sourdough Fails
Below, you’ll find the most common sourdough issues and how to fix them. Make sure you bookmark this post or save it on Pinterest so you can find it in the future.
Bread Not Rising?
#1 Reason: When your sourdough bread doesn’t rise, that means it’s an issue with your starter and the bulk ferment. Your starter is sluggish or weak, and your bulk ferment probably didn’t double in size and create air bubbles. You didn’t do anything wrong; we just need to strengthen your starter.
My Preventative Tip: To prevent this issue, make sure you feed your starter a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water 4–12 hours before you use it. Your starter needs to be strong and double in size after you feed it before you make bread.
Another Preventative Tip: Also make sure your bread is rising (the second rise after you shape it) for 3-4 hours in a non-drafy area. This can be in a turned-off oven, microwave, pantry, cabinet, etc.
How To Fix It: If your shaped bread hasn’t risen, it may be it’s too cold also. Place it in a turned-off oven with the oven light on and the oven door cracked. Do this for an hour or two more. But if it’s still not rising, then it’s 100% your starter isn’t strong enough. Please still bake your bread, you can always turn it into bread crumbs or a flatbread.
Failed Bulk Ferment?
#1 Reason: If your dough doesn’t double in size and gets bubbly during the bulk ferment (first ferment), your starter is sluggish or inactive. You can do everything perfectly, but if your starter is active and strong, you won’t get a good ferment, which will cause dense, sometimes underbaked treats.
My Preventative Tip: Make sure you feed your starter at least once a week and let it sit out on the counter for 4-12 hours afterward. When you feed it, you’ll need to do a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water.
To get a strong starter that will double in a few hours and have a thick, aerated texture, you need to do the preventative feeding weekly.
How To Fix It: If your dough didn’t have a successful bulk ferment (dough doubled and air bubbles visible), bake it anyway. Don’t throw it out! If it’s bread dough, you can make a flatbread instead.
Inactive Starter? Starter Not Rising?
#1 Reason: If your starter isn’t active and isn’t doubling in size when you feed it, you don’t have enough wild yeast in your starter. This means they’re either dying or they aren’t multiplying enough.
My Preventative Tip: The best way to prevent this is to always use unbleached flour and filtered water, and make sure you’re not switching starter jars constantly (more than once every 3-6 months) or keeping them too clean. It needs to be a little messy inside for the wild yeast to thrive. You really don’t need to ever switch starter jars unless it molds or you need a more starter.
How To Fix It: To fix your inactive starter, make sure you’re using unbleached flour and filtered water to feed it a minimum of once a week. This feeding should be a 2:1 ratio of flour to water, 4-12 hours BEFORE you need to use it for a recipe.
When you’re done feeding it, just scrape down the sides of the jar (do not wipe or try to get it spotless) and let the starter sit on the counter for 4-12 hours.
If this isn’t working, your starter needs more help. Let your starter sit out on the counter for two days and feed it the same ratio as above (2:1) every 12 hours. Discard 1/2 cup each time. This will help increase the wild yeast and make your starter more active.
Dense Sourdough Bread and Baked Goods?
#1 Reason: Dense baked goods and breads happen when:
- Your dough is underproofed; AKA hasn’t had enough time to rise.
- The dough is cold.
- Your starter isn’t active enough.
- Gluten hasn’t been strengthened in the dough enough during kneading or the stretch and fold.
My Preventative Tip: As you can see above, there are a few reasons your baked goods are turning out dense. So here’s a list of ways to prevent your treats from being dense.
- MOST COMMON: Feed your starter 4–12 hours before you use it with a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water (let it sit on the counter during this time).
- Make sure your dough is rising in a draft-free area (inside a turned-off oven, cabinet, pantry, or microwave).
- Ensure your starter has visible bubbles, meaning it’s active and ready to be baked with
- Make sure you’re kneading the dough correctly and for the exact time the recipe calls for (also applies to the stretch and fold).
How To Fix It: There’s no way to fix a dense loaf of bread or baked treat after it’s baked. But you can bake the item a little longer to help it finish baking all the way through.
Gummy Sourdough Bread on the Inside?
#1 Reason: When your sourdough bread turns out gummy on the inside, it’s usually not you; it’s a problem with your starter. It’s usually caused when your starter isn’t active enough so the bread can’t rise like it’s supposed to form a light, fluffy crumb. This can happen for a few main reasons:
- Your starter isn’t active enough; AKA doesn’t have enough active wild yeast.
- You’re using bleached flour, which is harming your starter’s wild yeast.
- You’re using unfiltered water from the sink (if you live in the city and don’t have a well).
My Preventative Tip: To prevent your bread from being gummy, make sure your starter is strong before you use it. This means it should have visible bubbles. To get it this way, feed your starter 4–12 hours before you use it with a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water. Make sure you let it sit out on the counter for this time.
2nd Preventative Tip: If the above tip is just not working, your starter needs more help. Let your starter sit out on the counter for two days and feed it the same ratio as above (2:1) every 12 hours. Discard 1/2 cup each time. This will help increase the wild yeast and make your starter more active.
How To Fix It: If your bread is already baked and it comes out gummy, you can slice it into quarters and place it back in the oven at 350 degrees for another 10 minutes or so. This won’t make the bread fluffy but it will help it bake more.
Failed Sourdough Recipes?
#1 Reason: When a sourdough recipe doesn’t work out for you, there can be numerous reasons. But the number one reason I see is the dough or batter is too wet. This causes underbaked treats and hard-to-shape dough.
If you follow each step of the recipe exactly as it’s written out and your dough is still too wet, it’s usually because of your starter’s hydration. This isn’t a problem; it just means your starter has more liquid than flour. Because every starter is different, you’ll find this variation often.
My Preventative Tip: If you’ve baked one of my recipes, you’ll see on the ingredient list I say, “Feed your starter a 2:1 ratio of flour to water 4-12 hours before.” This helps your starter be at the same hydration and consistency as mine when I develop the recipes.
How To Fix It: If you’re ever making a recipe and the dough is too wet, add more flour. But beware not to add more than 1/3 cup. If you’ve added this much but it’s still too wet, place your dough in the freezer for 10 minutes (not the fridge) and then resume shaping. This will help your dough stiffen up so it won’t be so goopy.
My Favorite Sourdough Baking Tools To Help
These tools are not exactly essential, but they make a HUGE difference. These items not only make sourdough baking easier but they have many uses.
- Bread Whisk (#1 most helpful)
- Bench scraper (#2 most helpful)
- Box grater
- Large glass mixing bowl
- Unbleached parchment paper
- Large Stainless Steel Baking sheet
- 9×5″ loaf pan
Thank you for this article, My starter has not been cooperating so I will try some of these tips. Do you think the weather being dry then humid also can play a part in the dough rising or not?
Thanks again.
You’re so welcome! Yes, for sure, the weather can play a big role in your dough rising, especially the temperatures. The cooler and less humid the longer it will take for the dough to rise (I’d say 2 hours extra), and the warmer and more humid, the quicker it will rise (about 2 hours faster). When it’s cool and dry, definitely give your dough 1-2 hours extra during the bulk ferment and the second rise.
Thank you so much for all of this great information!!!
I’m going to try a few things to help my starter to get more active!! I think my starter needs strengthened.
I recently lost my starter. I think due to not being active enough and the humidity.
You are so welcome!! I’m so glad you found this information helpful!