Why does my bread taste like raw flour?

Problem

Bread looks baked but has a chalky, pasty, or raw-flour mouthfeel and aftertaste.

Symptoms

• Pasty, chalky mouthfeel.
• Sticky crumb in the center.
• Flour-y smell when slicing.
• Crumb collapses or pulls into a doughy strand.
• Crust looks pale or matte.

Likely causes

• Pulled early

  Recipe-time baking without an internal temperature check is unreliable for fresh milled.

• Oven runs cool

  Many home ovens run 20–30°F low; an oven thermometer reveals the truth.

• Loaf too dense for bake time

  Larger, denser loaves need 10–15 more minutes than a comparable white loaf.

• Sliced too soon

  Crumb continues to set as it cools; cutting hot bread reads as gummy and raw.

• High hydration with insufficient bake

  Wet dough needs more time to drive off moisture and gelatinize fully.

Solutions

1. 1

   Bake to 205–210°F internal

   Use an instant-read thermometer through the bottom; for fresh milled whole-grain target 207–210°F.

2. 2

   Calibrate your oven

   Put an oven thermometer on the rack and adjust the dial accordingly.

3. 3

   Extend bake 5–10 minutes

   When in doubt, lower temp to 425°F and keep going until deep brown.

4. 4

   Cool fully before slicing

   At least 1 hour on a wire rack for sandwich loaves; 2 hours for artisan boules.

5. 5

   Bake darker than feels comfortable

   Deep mahogany crust = thorough bake; pale crusts almost always mean under-baked interior.

6. 6

   Crack oven door for last 5 minutes

   Vent steam and dry the crumb without burning the crust.