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What makes a gummy loaf? I get asked this a lot so I thought I’d share some answers and possibilities here, there can be a few reasons:
Slicing into a loaf before it’s cooled enough will give you a lovely warm slice of fresh bread, but it won’t be at its best, it will end up gummy from the steam; I leave my loaves for hours and hours before slicing into them. That way they’re light and dry and the texture I want them to be. If you can’t wait, go for it, but just do keep this in mind.
Over proving can produce a moist crumb, if your loaf is wide and flat and pale on the outside with small holes and a slightly damp interior, it may well be over.
Under baking can produce a gummy interior. Try baking for longer.
Is your pan big enough for your loaf? If the pan is too small and your loaf doesn’t have the space it needs to grow as it bakes it will hinder the bake and prevent it from being fully baked inside.
Too much water can also produce a damp loaf. Try less water with your flour.
Uneven heat in your oven can be the culprit – if you loaf is nicely golden on the outside but gummy or moist in the inside, it’s baking too quickly on the outside. Trying reducing the temperature you’re baking at and bake for a bit longer. Experiment until you find the sweet spot, and take notes along the way.
Consider if you’ve added any inclusions? Have they added liquid to the dough you didn’t account for?
If you live somewhere humid and you’ve baked your lovely loaf and left it out for several hours to cool, the humidity can soften the crust and damped the loaf, try to catch it whilst it’s still crisp on the outside and store it in something that will repel moisture.
A gummy loaf could be as a result of one, or more, of these. As always, the best way to find your solution is to go through an elimination process and change one thing at a time and make notes, always make notes.
If all else fails, make toast. Dry your slices of bread out in the toaster and enjoy!
I hope this helps!
For more tips and help check out my FAQ page and my Tips Index.
FAQs
During this experimentation window, you can try to save gummy loaves of bread by popping them back in the oven for a few minutes to cook some more. If the dough is too far gone and this does not work, however, it is best to simply toss out the bread to prevent illness or other issues that come with undercooked food.
What does it mean if my sourdough is gummy? ›
Most likely when this happens, it's not you - it's your starter. If your loaf is dense, has uneven holes and a gummy texture, most likely there wasn't enough active wild yeast in your starter to make the bread develop and rise during baking. This can be the case even if your starter seems really happy and bubbly.
Why is my bread gummy inside Reddit? ›
Your bread is "gummy" because that is the nature of high hydrated bread. If you lower your hydro it will be less gummy. Try going for 60-65% hydro.
Can overproofed dough be gummy? ›
Over proving can produce a moist crumb, if your loaf is wide and flat and pale on the outside with small holes and a slightly damp interior, it may well be over. Under baking can produce a gummy interior.
Why does my dough feel gummy? ›
Overly sticky dough is normally caused by a combination of using the wrong flour and using too much water.
What does it mean when bread is gummy? ›
Gummy bread is simply underbaked bread or bread with too much moisture.
Why is my sourdough still doughy after baking? ›
The fermentation process is so important to understanding how to tell when sourdough bread is done because under fermented dough will not bake through - which means even if the thermometer says it's done, it will still be gummy inside because it hasn't lost the water weight required for a light, airy crumb.
Why is my bread chewy? ›
The flour you used may have contained too much protein. Protein is one of the ingredients that help yeast bread brown. Use bread flour that is purchased at a grocery store or a national brand of all-purpose flour. You may have overdone it on the protein.
Why is the inside of my bread still doughy? ›
Air circulating around the loaf allows the steam built up inside the bread to evaporate. If the bread is kept in its baking pan, it will become soggy and look and taste doughy. If the bread has not finished baking by the maximum time indicated in the recipe, the oven thermostat may be off.
Why does my loaf of bread feel sticky? ›
Using too much water relative to the flour. Over fermentation: letting the bulk fermentation (first rise) go too long. Using too much whole wheat flour, rye flour, or freshly milled flour.
This could merely be due to the flour you're using, some produce a sticky dough. In some bases the dough needs less water, in some case the dough is under, or over proved. However, if the loaf bakes well, that's all that matters and in which case, don't worry about sticky dough.
How to tell if sourdough is underproofed or overproofed? ›
Gently press your finger into the dough on the top. If the dough springs back quickly, it's underproofed. If it springs back very slowly, it's properly proofed and ready to bake. Finally, if it never springs back, the dough is overproofed.
What are the signs of Overproofed dough? ›
Overproofed is when the dough has rested too long and the yeast has continued making carbon dioxide while the strength of the dough (gluten bonds) have begun to wear out. The dough will look very puffy, but when you touch it or move it you may notice it deflate or sag.
What happens if you let sourdough bread rise too long? ›
The loaf is also inclined to over spring resulting in a crumb with big, random, holes or channels running through the loaf. If you over-ferment the dough you run the risk of the gluten structure degrading and the loaf turning into a puddle of goo before your eyes, never to be retrieved and destined for the bin.
Why did my bread come out chewy? ›
Over-kneading has a tendency to result in chewy bread. Here's how to tell if you've kneaded enough. Another possibility—you used bread flour when all-purpose flour would do. If a recipe with bread flour turned out chewier than you like, try it with all-purpose and knead only as much as the recipe directs.
How do you make bread less rubbery? ›
Adding fat such as oil, butter, or even milk/dry milk will make your bread softer and reduce the level of crustiness. Brioche, for example, is a very soft “enriched” bread meaning a lot of butter (fat) was added to the dough, which makes it soft and fluffy.
Why is my bread machine bread gummy? ›
Bread that is undercooked and gummy inside is bread that didn't rise sufficiently.
Why is my bread dense and rubbery? ›
For baking light and fluffy bread, it is necessary to choose flour that has high levels of protein. If you choose to use flour with lower protein levels, you'll be left with the bread being dense. The reason for this is the fact that flour varieties with low protein aren't able to form a strong gluten network.
