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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
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.
How to fix gummy sourdough? ›
tips for avoiding a gummy sourdough loaf - 1) try making a loaf with lower hydration 2) make sure to develop the gluten sufficiently, whether through autolysing, laminating, kneading, or folding 3) make sure to proof long enough 4) make sure to bake long enough and let the loaf cool before cutring #sourdoughtok # ...
Can you fix gummy bread? ›
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 causes bread to be gummy? ›
For example, if your homemade bread keeps turning out gummy, it may be a problem with your baking temperature. It should come as no surprise that the outside of a loaf of bread cooks faster than the inside, seeing as the heat touches the exterior first before it is able to penetrate the interior.
How do you fix gummy dough? ›
If your dough really is unbelievably sticky, you can try adding a teaspoon of flour at a time but proceed with caution. Too much added flour can actually end up ruining your dough. Remember, baking is a science, and ingredient measurements matter.
What are the signs of Overproofed dough? ›
Properly proofed dough will be much more consistent in structure, with a soft and fluffy interior, and larger, but more evenly dispersed air bubbles present in the crumb. Over proofed bread is likely to have a very open crumb structure, due to the development of excess CO2 during the proofing stage.
Why is my homemade bread too 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.
Is it okay to eat gummy sourdough bread? ›
Now, it's important to know. there's nothing wrong with this bread. The bread tastes amazing. It's still edible, it's perfectly safe to eat, it's fully cooked.
Why is my gf bread gummy? ›
Gummy on the inside- bake for a longer time. Gluten free bread takes much longer than a regular loaf to bake and therefore a sticky crumb is generally the result of under baking.
Why is my bread still gooey in the middle? ›
If the dough doesn't fill out with gas, perhaps because it hasn't had time to rise properly, the inside of the loaf will remain soggy and dense as the dough won't bake properly. You should therefore leave plenty of time for your dough to rise.
Bread too dense? It might be cold dough. One of the most common mistakes is having a dough temperature that's too low for the starter to feed on all the flour in the dough, resulting in a crumb that's dense, with fewer openings.
Is overproofed dough sticky? ›
Over proofing or fermenting the dough can also result in the gluten structure weakening causing sticky dough.
What does overproofed dough taste like? ›
Over proofed dough has had it's gluten “eaten” or broken down to the point that the strength is gone. The sugars are used up so the crust won't brown properly. The crust is brittle, hard and pale without a beautiful shine. It smells reminiscent of crackers or corn and has a slight flavor that resembles that too.
Can you still use Overproofed dough? ›
Let it thaw at room temperature, then reheat it briefly before using to revive it: 350ºF for 15 minutes or so. Re-ball the dough. This is perhaps the simplest option: take your overproofed dough, re-shape it into a ball, place it in an airtight container, and transfer it in the fridge for a future pizza night.
