Why is my bread gummy inside?

The two causes — cutting it warm and genuine underbaking — and the internal temperature that settles which one it was.

Difficulty: intermediate
Time: 15 min
Read: 3 min

Short answer

You almost certainly cut it before it was cold. Bread continues to set as it cools, and slicing a warm loaf leaves the centre damp and claggy. If it was cold when cut, it was underbaked — bake until the centre reaches 93 to 96°C.

Gummy bread is the most misdiagnosed baking fault there is. People assume the recipe or the dough was wrong when the problem happened after the loaf came out of the oven.

Diagnosing a bread fault from the crumb

Step by step

Establish when you cut it.Warm from the oven, or completely cold? That single question separates the two causes and they have different fixes.
Let it cool completely.A small loaf needs an hour, a large one two, and a dense rye or sourdough four or more. On a rack, so air reaches the base.
Understand why cooling matters.Starch is still setting as the loaf cools, and a large amount of steam is still leaving it. Cut it early and that moisture is trapped, which reads as a gummy, damp crumb.
Check the internal temperature next time.A probe into the centre through the base. Lean breads are done at 93 to 96°C; enriched doughs at around 88 to 91°C. This removes the guesswork completely.
Bake longer if it was cold and still gummy.Another five to ten minutes, covering the top with foil if it is already dark. An underbaked loaf is not fixed by anything else.
Check your oven temperature.An oven running 20°C cool bakes the outside acceptably and leaves the centre wet. An oven thermometer is worth its cost several times over.
Consider the hydration.Very wet doughs — 80% hydration and above — need longer baking and are far less forgiving of an early cut. Reduce the water if this keeps happening.
Cool it on a rack, not on a board.A loaf sitting on a solid surface traps steam underneath and the base goes soggy and gummy while the rest is fine.
Rescue what you have.Gummy bread toasts perfectly well, and makes good breadcrumbs, croutons and bread and butter pudding. It is not wasted.

Tips

Warm bread smells irresistible and cutting it is the single most common cause of gummy crumb.
93 to 96°C in the centre. A probe thermometer ends the argument.
Cool it on a rack — a solid surface makes the base soggy on its own.

Common mistakes

Cutting the loaf within half an hour of baking — The starch has not finished setting and a large amount of water is still leaving as steam. Cutting releases the steam sideways rather than upwards, and the crumb around the cut compresses into a damp, gummy layer.
Judging doneness by crust colour — Crust colour depends on sugar, milk, egg wash and oven position, so a loaf can be deep brown outside and 10°C short in the middle. Temperature or a hollow tap on the base are far better tests.

If it doesn't work

Gummy and it was cut warm

Cause: Cut too early — Fix: Nothing to fix in the loaf. Cool it fully next time — an hour minimum, two for a large loaf.

Gummy and it was completely cold

Cause: Underbaked — Fix: Bake five to ten minutes longer and check for 93 to 96°C in the centre.

Base gummy, rest fine

Cause: Cooled on a solid surface — Fix: Cool on a wire rack.

Gummy every time regardless

Cause: Oven running cool, or dough too wet — Fix: Check the oven with a thermometer and reduce the hydration a little.

Dark crust, wet centre

Cause: Oven too hot — Fix: Lower the temperature by 10 to 20°C and bake longer, covering the top if needed.

Questions people ask

How long should bread cool before cutting?

At least an hour for a standard loaf and two for a large or wholemeal one. Dense sourdoughs and rye breads are best left four hours or overnight, which is why they are traditionally baked the day before.

What internal temperature should bread reach?

93 to 96°C in the centre for lean doughs such as a plain white or sourdough loaf, and around 88 to 91°C for enriched doughs containing butter, egg or sugar.