TroubleshootingIntermediate
Overproofed
Dough that fermented too long and lost structure.
When dough has fermented too long, the gluten network breaks down and can no longer hold gas. The dough becomes weak, sticky, and spreads out instead of rising. Overproofed bread is typically flat and dense.
By Henry Hunter · Updated
Henry's notes from the bench
- If you poke the dough and the indent doesn't spring back at all, you've gone too far. Better to underproof than overproof!
Diagnose and fix
Dough is very flat and sticky after proofing
It's overproofed. Next time, reduce bulk fermentation or final proof time by 30-60 minutes.
Connected terms
Watch it at the bench
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