I’ve been having a bit of trouble with all the loaves I’ve been making recently. I’ve made this recipe and the no knead recipe. Both of my loaves came out quite rubbery and gummy. I thought I might’ve over kneaded the first loaf which is why I went for the no knead but I still had the same problem! (I should add that I think I added a bit too much water to the no knead). I was just wondering if anybody could give me any advice as to where I’m going wrong and what it is that can cause bread to go gummy like this.

Thanks very much!

Deleted this, due to double post.

Catherine - 24 November 2010 03:35 PM

I’ve been having a bit of trouble with all the loaves I’ve been making recently. I’ve made this recipe and the no knead recipe. Both of my loaves came out quite rubbery and gummy. I thought I might’ve over kneaded the first loaf which is why I went for the no knead but I still had the same problem! (I should add that I think I added a bit too much water to the no knead). I was just wondering if anybody could give me any advice as to where I’m going wrong and what it is that can cause bread to go gummy like this.

Thanks very much!

I think it’s pretty hard to over-knead bread, particularly when the dough is very wet, and impossible if you’re doing it by hand.  Likewise, it’s probably hard to have too much water, since some people bake bread when the dough is like soup.  I’m wondering if you had too little gluten development, so that the bread had inadequate structure?  How was the bread volume?  Shape?  Do you use the window pane test?  How wet was the dough?  Dry?  Tacky? Sticky?

I hadn’t thought that it might be too little gluten. The no knead loaf was pretty much flat as a pancake! And now that I think about it the other, whilst it did rise a bit, wasn’t as risen as I’d have hoped.

I don’t use the window pane test because I can’t get it to work! Even when I’ve kneaded my dough for ages in a kitchenaid I’ve only ever managed to get it to window pane once, and I have no idea what I did differently then to any other time.

Anyway, thank you very much for your input. I’ve got another batch of the no knead rising in the kitchen at the moment using a higher protein flour and the right amount of water so fingers crossed that’ll turn out better than the first.

Catherine - 25 November 2010 06:14 PM

Anyway, thank you very much for your input. I’ve got another batch of the no knead rising in the kitchen at the moment using a higher protein flour and the right amount of water so fingers crossed that’ll turn out better than the first.

You might try giving that bread a fold or two to strengthen the gluten before you put it into the pot.