Why is my sourdough, way to sticky when I knead it.

[janiejoey]

Any one please help,

I'm new at making a culture of sourdough bread starter. I'm sure that isn't the problem. It's when I make the bread. You see, as I use my bread machine to start off the kneading, it is way toooooo sticky. The more I add flour, the stickier it gets.

What am I doing wrong?

Janie

"Whoo Hoo"
-Cathe Friedrich-

 

[dlavie]

Janie,

I'm not an expert at sourdough breads. I've had trouble with a Challah recipe I use that is too sticky coming out of the bread machine.

I don't tamper with the recipe. I allow for the stickiness and coat my hands and the kneading surface with extra flour. The bread picks up the extra flour and gets less sticky as I knead it.

You might try the recipe with different flours to see if it's a gluten level issue. Try http://www.kingarthurflour.com

Dave

 

[janiejoey]

Hi Dave,

I've checked the website you intended, and now have many ideas for baking bread, and making new starters. I even asked an expert along the way what I was doing wrong to create a sticky dough. I'm waiting for a reply.

Thank you so much for helping me,

Janie

 

[SRP]

Janie - I'd be very hesitant to use a bread machine unless the recipe is designed for it. In many sourdough recipes ,the first step is to create the sponge. This is a very sticky phase of the bread. You mix it all up with a spoon - no kneading yet - and then let it rise. After this rising, then you go back an add in the rest of the flour so that the dough becomes stiffer, and you can knead it. Then you let it rise again. And THEN you punch it down, shape it into loaves and let it rise for its third and final time. If your recipe is one that calls for a sponge, you most definitely don't want to put it in the bread machine yet. Hope this helps.