Overnight proofing Hearth Bread and Flatbread Discuss Overnight proofing in the Brick Oven Cooking forums; Veering slightly back toward proofing, I have a dilemma. I mixed a batch of bread last night [Sunday] with the ...

[jwnorris]

Veering slightly back toward proofing, I have a dilemma. I mixed a batch of bread last night [Sunday] with the intent of baking Monday afternoon. It is sitting in the fridge, ready to go. It is now raining cats and dogs here with no end in sight.

As I will not have the time to bake until Friday or Saturday, what should I do? Can I leave it proofing in the frig that long?

J W

[amber]

JW - you can probably leave it, but it will get more of a sourdough flavor. you can also make the bread dough and freeze it.

[james]

Hey JW,
I can't help here -- but I will be interested to hear what folks have to say. Amber, the bread getting more sour makes a lot of sense, and think you would have to use plastic wrap to keep it from getting a serious skin.

James

[amber]

True, and you can keep it in a zip-lock bag to really keep the air out. The sour flavor comes from the yeast dying. It's like a lazy person's sourdough (no starter) but it can taste pretty good.

[amber]

If anyone cares for more information on that concept, there's this book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. The authors use the fridge and no knead theory to make some pretty good bread. I'm sure that it could be cooked in the WFO to make it even better!

[james]

Is the theory that you are doing a long proofing in the refrigerator, and then bring the dough out before baking to shape the loaf and do the final proofing?

Or, do you store the shaped loaf that long. I will have to look up "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day." I've been the cover, but not read the book.

Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Bread Book is on my Xmas wish list.
James

[amber]

Mmmm Peter Reinhart..... The basic premise is that you mix flour, water, yeast, and salt (I can't remember the ratio) into a wet dough in a sealable, but not airtight, container. You leave it to rise for 2+ hours at room temp, until it just begins to fall (the yeast begins to die) and then you can bake with it or keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. when you're ready to cook, bring some out and let 'rise' for 40 minutes while the oven heats. then the dough is placed in an oven with boiling water and the steam cooks the bread. It's good and nice to have dough in the fridge for whenever. I made it a lot when I first bought the book, but much less so now.

[Dutchoven]

JW
Did you just put it in the fridge as a bulk fermentation or are they shaped loaves. If it was a bulk ferment you can probably leave it but you would want to cover it tightly expecially if it is in a regularly used fridge. If you have done the final shaping you could freeze them...then you could do like the average megamart bakers and thaw, proof and then bake!!!
Best
Dutch

Originally Posted by jwnorris

Veering slightly back toward proofing, I have a dilemma. I mixed a batch of bread last night [Sunday] with the intent of baking Monday afternoon. It is sitting in the fridge, ready to go. It is now raining cats and dogs here with no end in sight.

As I will not have the time to bake until Friday or Saturday, what should I do? Can I leave it proofing in the frig that long?

J W

[Dutchoven]

James
Excellent book! I ot it for Christmas last year. Some really interesting techniques.

Amber
The method of long cool fermentation does create a far more flavorful bread but, it is not necessarily the result of expired yeast. Most of the flavor in bread is the result of bacteria. When you mix dough, amylase enzymes break down the starches into complex sugars which are then converted into simpler sugars by maltase, which the yeasts are able to consume. The bacteria(most famous is lactobacillus sanfransciscencis) is then able to feed on the products of the yeasts. Depending on the particular bacteria in the atmosphere as well as in the flour different flavors can develop. As well as by manipulating the amount of moisture in the starter. Use of potato water or onion juice in the water start the misture out with more starches...adding malt powder gives the dough more maltase which converts the complex sugars into the simple sugars for the yeast to consume. Lots of different options!
All the best!
Dutch

Originally Posted by james

Is the theory that you are doing a long proofing in the refrigerator, and then bring the dough out before baking to shape the loaf and do the final proofing?

Or, do you store the shaped loaf that long. I will have to look up "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day." I've been the cover, but not read the book.

Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Bread Book is on my Xmas wish list.
James

[amber]

Dutch, thanks for correcting me. I'd always understood that when the bread dough stops rising and starts collapsing that the yeast was finished. One way or the other the ABin5 makes one tasty loaf!