How to Master the Perfect Sourdough Crumb

The perfect crumb has to be the holy grail of sourdough baking. If you've ever struggled with achieving the right structure, texture and taste, you're not alone. But fear not, because, in this video, we'll be sharing all the tips and tricks you need to master the art of the sourdough crumb.
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[@karenlee005]

Love the look of your crumb! I've been making sourdough bread for almost 4 years now and find I keep looking to improve my loaves based on my criteria. I have a notebook and would make notes on fermentation time, # folds etc then critiqued each loaf based on 7 variables - Oven spring, colour, blisters, score/ear, crispness, crumb and flavour. We are our own worst critics, but my husband would give me 10/10 on all 🙂

[@CulinaryExploration]

It's a never-ending journey Karen!

[@Riley-ze2wv]

Your crumb is quite literally the most perfect crumb I’ve ever seen ❤❤❤ I aspire to make a loaf like that!!

[@peaceful671]

Excellent to the point and correct information,great stuff cheers 👌👌👌

[@meowjing]

amazing beautiful crumbs

[@chef-magoo]

brilliant job on this video Phil! Clear concise to the point, lots of good info.

[@CulinaryExploration]

Cheers bud

[@mileslindaschuckwagoncooke1432]

Love the scheduling it's a very good practice to follow as their as been many nights I was ready to sleep but my timing was off and ended up loosing sleep.

[@CulinaryExploration]

Keep experimenting to se what works best for your dough and ambient temperatures 😀

[@jklphoto]

Great content as always chef! Still striving for a loaf that has the strength to be as round/tall as your loafs. I've watched this most recent video and visited your blog post. Can't believe you get these results with what amounts to, a no-knead technique. Amazing! Maybe it's the magic Greek water and flour. Maybe it's your enameled clouche. Either way, I am inspired to keep trying.

[@denaross]

Great insights - it certainly takes feel and it’s definitely a work in progress for me!

[@CulinaryExploration]

It's deftly work in progress for me too Dena, I don't know if that ever stops :)

[@gailcoleman3351]

I really wasn’t sure what a good crumb looked like. Now I know and my crumb qualifies as good, but I would like it to be less flat. Practice practice!! Thank you. Nice video!

[@juliawheeler8973]

Thank you for your videos! You are making best sourdough bread! 😊👍🏻

[@CulinaryExploration]

Cheers Julia :)

[@BTs-he1lg]

Great information. Thanks Philip. Already went through the video twice, trying to take everything in. Your dough looks so fluffy and bouncy to the touch. I hope I can master the fermentation soon.

[@CulinaryExploration]

Your turning out some awesome loaves! Your chocolate swirl sourdough was way better than mine 🤩

[@kamerjameel9610]

Dear Phil. I started sourdough baking 2 months ago. There are a sea of videos but yours are by far the best. You are the only one who has explained the shaping part in a way that I understood it. It was shaping which was holding back my oven spring. I still use your no knead recipe with 66-67 % hydration. I loved this video which recaps in a detailed manner.

[@CulinaryExploration]

Sound like you are doing really well in just two months of baking sourdough. Shaping is tricky to get to grips with but it sounds like it's clicked for you. Keep up the good work and I'm pleased you are enjoying the videos.

[@cadegibbs8174]

Phil, I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your videos. They shortened the learning curve drastically for me where I felt like I was making loaves I was really proud of by my 5th or 6th attempt. I love the way you teach intuition over formula, yet also have really helpful guidelines on expectation with doughs. I’ve been double batching every time I bake and finding a friend to give a loaf away to which is so fun. So my friends are benefitting from your videos as well! Lol Truly grateful for you and your channel.

[@CulinaryExploration]

I'm super pleased you've found the videos helpful Cade. I know not everyone can afford the investment, but baking two loaves at a time can really shorten the learning process. It sounds like you've done most of the hard work on your own. Has your circle of friends mysteriously grown since you've been baking sourdough lol?

[@cadegibbs8174]

Haha not yet but we’ll see

[@cadegibbs8174]

Haha not yet but we’ll see

[@cadegibbs8174]

Haha not yet but we’ll see

[@wdjones4735]

I absolutely love your videos! Especially when you experiment so I don’t have to! It has made my sourdough experience so much better….Thank you😊❤️

[@CulinaryExploration]

I'm pleased the videos have been helpful, keep up the hard work

[@wdjones4735]

@@CulinaryExploration I have a question Why is my dough still sticky after I have completed my folds/lamination? I’m hydrating at 65% and it starts out great, but as I go through the folds it gets stickier and stickier. What can I do to make this better?

[@CulinaryExploration]

​@@wdjones4735 It's unusual for the dough to get sticky at 65% hydration unless you are stretching late into the fermentation and the dough is over-fermenting. You could try changing the flour and seeing if that makes a difference.

[@wdjones4735]

@@CulinaryExploration I will try your suggestion. Thank you so much.

[@CulinaryExploration]

@@wdjones4735 You're welcome

[@pastpianist]

I also ran the transcript through GPT-4 and asked it to create KZbin chapter markers with a timestamp and nice title. Output: 0:00 - Chapter 1: Introduction to Sourdough Crumb 1:00 - Chapter 2: Preparing a Healthy Sourdough Culture 2:01 - Chapter 3: Choosing the Right Flour for Your Crumb 4:02 - Chapter 4: Balancing Hydration for the Perfect Crumb 5:36 - Chapter 5: Fermenting Your Dough Correctly 6:56 - Chapter 6: Monitoring Dough Volume during Fermentation 7:45 - Chapter 7: Laminating and Stretching for Crumb Structure 8:31 - Chapter 8: Focusing on Shaping for Crumb Control 9:13 - Chapter 9: Mastering the Proving Stage

[@chopsddy3]

Big open hole crumb holds more butter and jelly .😁👍

[@CulinaryExploration]

LOL - as long as it doesn't drop through and land on the plate!

[@chopsddy3]

@@CulinaryExploration Aye, there’s the rub.

[@Melinabellisima]

Beautiful crumbs

[@CulinaryExploration]

Thank you :)

[@celinem8456]

A bit of a different type of question: I'm redesigning my kitchen, so I'm always on the lookout for ideas: is your baking island lower than a standard countertop height? I'm on the short side and have been thinking about doing just that - have a lower island for food prep. 'Would love to hear your thoughts on that and practical kitchen design. I enjoy your videos!

[@rmallett100]

Thanks!

[@CulinaryExploration]

You’re more than welcome Rick. And a massive thanks for the super thanks. Greatly appreciated 😀

[@colinbrooker481]

Fantastic video. I get a slightly damp and rubbery crumb rather than a nice glassy/light texture. I have tried different strength flours, hydration levels and baking times but without success. Any ideas? Thanks

[@MattMingaBurns]

Hi mate. I've been making sourdough for years, and they've been steadily getting worse and worse as i try to make the process easier or shorter. The clarity from your fantastically filmed and informative videos took me back to basics, and now I'm back to making amazing loaves that look just like yours - thanks so much ❤ . Using the sample and laminating techniques were game changers for me. One of my problems has also been thinking that my gas oven could be used the same as a normal oven, where I could just bake on my baking steel with no cover and a tray of water for steaming. Turns out that this isn't the case in the slightest, as the steam is just vented straight out of the oven 😂 ... No one really seems to talk about that, but now that I'm back covering the loaf, the loaves are beautiful once again. Thanks for all your insights!

[@CulinaryExploration]

Hey Matt, I'm pleased you've found the videos useful and that you've got your baking back on track. There aren't any quick hacks or magical tricks, it's about finding a method that works for you and that's done by trial and error. I experienced the same issue as you when I first baked in an Aga, all of the steam was vented straight out of the flue. Everyone's oven behaves differently and once again it's about finding the right method for your setup. But most importantly, make sure you keep enjoying your baking :)

[@hj8607]

Nice video . I have settled in on combining the starter growth and quantity available into a large Biga preferment with over night (12-16 hr) room temp (69F) A preferment thats going to be 60H and 50-75 % of final dough volume. Fifteen minutes to start first evening . Fifteen minute the next afternoon (final mix, 70-80H) AND overnight cold proof for baking anytime the next day(s).(frige is ~35F)

[@CulinaryExploration]

That sounds like it's taken some perfection. Nice schedule, great work

[@shippuuden28]

Hey Philip! I just put the all purpose dough (your method) in the fridge. Could you tell us or link the oval shaped banneton in the description? The one linked is the round one. Thanks in advance! You are a legend. Im using the 25x15x8 one.

[@eastvale22]

Thank you! Question for you, when you say strong white bread flour, are you talking about the flower that has malted barley, flour added to it as here in the United States?

[@eastvale22]

Thank you, Phil! Also, are these same standards applicable to higher altitudes? we live at 6000 feet

[@susand.m3894]

Have ever tried making a sourdough bread in one day … basically 12 hours ?. Love to hear your thoughts! I’m from the Caribbean and it’s basically difficult to follow your ideas though I still listen. Many have tried doing a same day sourdough but you . I don’t like the very sour taste in bread as it gives me stomach cramps.. please help

[@ccorfield2243]

What is fermenting the dough? Is it sitting after doing the stretches? I thought that was proofing.

[@WheresBillie104]

My go to blend for gifting bread is 80% bread, 10% rye and 10% spelt, at 75% hydration. And 80% hydrated starter. Flavor never fails.

[@CulinaryExploration]

It's great when you get everything aligned, sounds like a great formula Patrick

[@mandiigraham1596]

I want to try your combo. Is your start flour 100% bread flour.

[@WheresBillie104]

@@mandiigraham1596 I actually stay with 100% white whole wheat (King Arthur) for my starter! But it’s funny, even when I make a 100% white bread flour loaf, that 10% levain browns up the crumb more than one would think. But to be more specific I use whatever I have available for the starter. I’ve just settled on the white whole wheat because I find it more forgiving. If I’m late for a re feed, it seems to still double easily.

[@TwilightFlip]

Does adding whole wheat mean the dough can take more or less hydration (in a flour mix with white flour)?

[@CulinaryExploration]

Whole-wheat flour is generally a bit more thirsty than white bread flour, so you can add a touch more water. The key is finding out what hydration works best for your flour blend.

[@bernadetteclow75]

I love your method but you did have a video on baking the bread🌹

[@CulinaryExploration]

Hey Bernadette, yes I do. If you click through to my channel page you'll be able to see all of the videos I have on baking sourdough. Let me know how you get on :)

[@thomasbarber1808]

I noticed you rolled the dough in a container of flour rather than flouring your proving basket? Does this work better for not sticking to the basket (an issue that keeps getting me!)

[@Piery83_]

Phil i have a problem during the bulk fermentation. Usually i wait for a 50/75% of volume increase, but the structure of the dough is full of very small bubble. Can be an imbalance in my levain?

[@CulinaryExploration]

Hey Piery, just be careful not to under-ferment your dough. Hitting 75% is a good target unless it's super hot. I'm not quite sure what you mean by small bubbles... Do you mean in the dough, while it's fermenting? It might be best to send me a picture by email, you can find the detail on my website. I'll be happy to help.

[@rtcredeemed521]

I don't buy flour from the store. Do you think that fresh grounded wheat would work as well? I have soft wheat and hard wheat. If the flour has all the fiber, it won't affect the crumb?

[@CulinaryExploration]

Everything affects the overall outcome of the loaf. Using home milled flour work well but expect a denser crumb, especially if you don’t sift any of the bran out of the flour.

[@SirBugsBan]

Excellent video! Do any of these techniques translate differently to making a bread with poolish for achieving a similar result? Mine always turn out with too tight of a crumb... but i've also only been following sourdough techniques. Thanks so much for the video, though!

[@lindadurand247]

What I'd like to know is how to get the tang in the sourdough, was told to overnight in the fridge 8-12 hrs the longer its in the fridge the more tang develops, I've done that but still doesn't make a difference

[@wickwire6500]

Μια μου βγαινει σαν λασπη μεσα μια με τρυπες μια χωρις δεν μπορω να καταλαβω τι παιζει . Είναι πολλα τα ενδεχόμενα

[@Mama-tea]

Made my first loaf yesterday and it was heavy and wet. Not your recipe though. Ordered more starter and will follow your methods

[@pastpianist]

I ran the transcript of this video through GPT-4 and asked it to pull out the tips: This video provides tips on sourdough bread baking, focusing on achieving the perfect crumb. Key points include: 1. Sourdough culture: Ensure your starter is vibrant, healthy, and properly fermented. Feed your starter or create your levain the night before baking for overnight fermentation. 2. Flour choice: Use a strong white bread flour for an open crumb structure. Protein content affects dough strength and chewiness. All-purpose flour produces a tighter crumb and softer texture. Adding whole wheat flour improves flavor and texture but may create a denser crumb. 3. Hydration: Balance hydration with flour choice. Lower hydration yields stiffer dough and tighter crumb, while higher hydration produces more extensible dough and open crumb but can be harder to handle. 4. Fermentation: Monitor dough volume, pH, and handling experience to determine when the dough is correctly fermented. Aim for a 75% increase in volume before shaping. 5 .Manipulation: Laminating or stretching and folding the dough can result in a more organized crumb structure. 6 .Shaping: Apply firm pressure to compact the dough and gas, creating a tight dough skin. 7 .Proving: Use the poke test to check if the dough is ready for baking. It should feel pillowy and puffy, with a strong skin but not tight like a drum. 8. Scoring: Proper scoring is essential for good results.

[@danielnichols3594]

Can Chat-GPT do all the mixing/kneading too and S&Fs? LOL. Thxs for this. Awesome use of the AI technology.

[@Melinabellisima]

Makes me wanna bake again. Are you married?

[@snowleopardseal]

What