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Possibly over proved. Also it could be how you are incorporating the water. I add about 80% for autolyse and then add the rest in approx 50ml stages when I knead in the salt.
Ways to reducing proving could be- shorter proving time, less starter or colder ingredients or colder proving location. Also different flours absorb water differently so blindly following a recipe may not always work as it was specced for different ingredients.
dancing james-
The above had 253ml water at the start of a 5 hour autolyse with 255g strong bread and 70g wholemeal. Levain was around 6 hours, incorporated that first, then dimpled in the salt half an hour later. Then did a fold on the counter, then lamination. After that, 4 coil folds spaced 45 minutes apart, then 90 minutes before shaping. Spent around 12 hours in the fridge...
As for recipes, have generally stuck with a method for several months before wanting to throw the towel out...
cmburns
Where am I going wrong so I can fix it
Followed different recipes and methods, Tartine, Full Proof Baking, The Perfect Loaf, and 9 times out of 10 my end product is something like this; no real oven spring, no ear, anything. This was from Full Proof Bakings' basic recipe, and proved to be incredibly sticky to work with and didn't ever feel particularly strong despite a few more folds in the process.
It makes me wonder if, I should just be dropping hydration on everything I do? I'm never keen on diverting away from a recipe too much, but it seems to be a troubling factor whichever one I do.
Also with scoring, every time I go in (usually around half an inch), it just seems to spread out even more and produces a pancake like result, like the above.
All in all, I'm just starting to get bummed out, as if there isn't a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of being satisfied with something I've made; I've got all the tools (proofing oven, cast iron dish etc), but the end product disappoints me 9 times out of 10.