Yes, you can overmix sourdough, especially in a stand mixer, leading to a dense, sticky dough with poor rise because the gluten structure breaks down and oxidizes too much, but it's surprisingly hard to do by hand, with undermixing being a more common issue for beginners. Overmixing usually results in a dough that becomes overly slack, shiny, and sticky, losing its creamy color and wheaty flavor, though some argue longer initial mixing builds strength.
After two to three minutes, the dough is perfectly mixed and ready to go back into the bowl for bulk fermentation. But if I have time, I prefer the second choice. After bringing the ingredients together into a rough dough I cover the bowl and leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
If your dough feels dense and tough to handle when you stop the mixer, it is a sign that it is becoming over-kneaded. Over-kneaded dough can become very hard to work with and produce a more flat and chewy bread.
The biggest mistake beginners make with sourdough is impatience, specifically baking with a starter that isn't strong enough or rushing fermentation, leading to flat, dense bread; they often try to bake too soon, don't let dough proof long enough, and fail to develop dough strength or learn to "read the dough" (look/feel) rather than just the clock, plus starting with overly high hydration is a common pitfall.
For gluten to develop the flour needs to hydrate. Once it's hydrated, to build strength you can do stretch and folds or knead it. Depending on your flour and the hydration in your recipe, it could take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Some enriched doughs can take upwards of 45 minutes by hand.
🍞 For Your Dough: Overmixing can lead to a dense, over-oxidized dough that loses its natural color and flavor. Plus, sourdough thrives on gentle handling—overworking it can break down its delicate gluten structure, making it harder to develop that perfect open crumb.
The first way to check is to simply poke the dough with your finger. If the dough bounces back without sticking to your finger, it's been kneaded enough. If it doesn't, you need to keep kneading.
High starter quantities speed up fermentation and lower quantities slow down fermentation. For example, a recipe with 20% starter may finish bulk fermentation in 5 hours and at 10% starter, it may take 8 hours.
This is the second proofing stage which can take anywhere between 12-48 hours. The longer you proof the dough, the more acidic it will become, and the more the gluten will be broken down.
If mixed too long the dough can become loose and sticky. The water that was absorbed by the flour gets released back into the dough and the gluten structure breaks down. After this there is no way to fix it. It will be a loose, soggy, and sticky mass unable to hold in fermentation gasses.
To proof them, let them sit, covered, at room temperature for up to 3–4 hours, or let them proof for a little while at room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for 12–15 hours.
Visually, proofed dough will grow in volume, and have some visible air bubbles. It should be a bit jiggly from the trapped gasses in the dough.
Recipes for bread, sourdough or not, typically ask for (hand-) kneading of anything from 4 to 10 minutes.
The benefits of stretch and fold
The dough develops gluten just as well using the stretch and fold method as it does kneading the dough for 10-15 minutes. Some flours will benefit from the stretch and fold method.
7 Breadmaking mistakes to avoid:
The biggest mistake with a sourdough starter is impatience, primarily by using it before it's strong enough (weak starter) or discarding too much/feeding inefficiently, which weakens it further, leading to flat bread; you must give a new starter weeks to mature and consistently feed it at its peak for proper leavening power. Other common errors include using chlorinated water, incorrect water temperature, or ignoring temperature for sluggish activity.
Overmixing: The Most Common Culprit Behind Dense Baked Goods
But excessive mixing, especially at high speeds, leads to overdevelopment. The result? A tough, chewy texture that lacks the softness or airiness your customers expect.
Dense sourdough almost always points to under fermentation or starter issues. When the yeast cannot produce enough gas, or the gluten network is not strong enough to hold that gas, the loaf bakes tight and heavy. Signs of dense or under fermented sourdough: Tight crumb with gumminess.
When all four quadrants of the dough have been stretched and folded, you have completed one round of stretch and folds. Most recipes call for 3-6 rounds of stretch and folds, repeated every 30 minutes or so. By the last round, the dough should keep its shape, and not feel as sticky as it did at the start.
What causes sticky sourdough or bread dough? Overly sticky dough is normally caused by a combination of using the wrong flour and using too much water. I discuss these points in more detail above but in short: choose a flour that's produced for bread baking. These are normally labelled “Bread” or “Strong” flour.
Here are the big errors to avoid when working with sourdough.