Hi Mike, a lot of factors throughout the sourdough bread making process go into that robust rise in the oven (often referred to as "oven spring")  that you're looking for. It's certainly important that your starter is active and healthy and that you add it to your recipe when it's ripe (at its highest point of rising, or just beginning to fall, after having been fed at room temperature). Equally important, however, is that adequate dough strength has been developed, and that proper fermentation has occurred. Proper shaping is important as well, since a loaf that is too loosely formed is likely to spread out rather than rise upward.

Another factor that can contribute to a flatter result is if you're working with a very wet dough. Doughs that have a high percentage of water (the weight of the water as compared to the weight of the flour) are more difficult to shape, and tend to spread out during the final rise and bake. For wet doughs, allowing the shaped rise to occur in a well-floured proofing basket or a bowl lined with a very well-floured cloth can help prevent spreading, and baking in a supportive vessel like an appropriately sized Dutch oven can also contribute to a loaf that rises upwards rather than spreading out during baking.

Probably the most likely factor contributing to poor oven spring is allowing the dough to over-proof in the shaped form. A loaf that has been allowed to rise too much before baking will have less rising power going into the oven, and the structure of the dough will also be weaker. To judge if your loaf is ready for baking, try gently poking the surface with a floured finger. I like to see that the indentation fills in slowly. If it bounces right back it probably needs a little more rising time before baking. On the other hand, if it leaves a big imprint and doesn't rise back at all, then it's likely a bit over-proofed. I would still go ahead and bake it, but you may not get a great rise in the oven. 

If you'd like more help troubleshooting your sourdough baking, please give our Baker's Hotline a call at 855-371-2253. We're here M-F from 9am-9pm EST, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am-5pm EST. 

Barb

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