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Avoiding over proofing when making multiple loaves

JessicaW3's picture
JessicaW3

Avoiding over proofing when making multiple loaves

This is my first post, so please forgive me if this is an obnoxiously over-asked question--I promise I did a search first :).

Any advice on how to keep a second loaf from over proofing while my first loaf is baking?  I just have a smallish round pizza stone right now and I can't really comfortably fit two 1-pound boules or bâtards on it at the same time.  So if my second loaf is sitting out through the baking and then reheating, etc., it sometimes gets over proofed.  Will I mess it up if I put it in the fridge while the first is baking?  And if not, do I need to remove it before putting it into the oven to bake?  Or should it go into the fridge for a half hour or so after shaping and then come out to rise and then bake?

Does that make sense?  Thanks so much in advance :).

golgi70's picture
golgi70

I'm not sure of the dough in mind but if you put one of the two loaves in the fridge after shaping for the difference in time it should do the trick.  Be sure to keep it covered so it doesn't produce a tough skin from the cold.  

It'll take some practice on gettin the timing perfect but should solve your issues.  So if the bake is 30 minutes and reheat is 30 put one loaf in the fridge for 1 hour and see if that stalls the rise enough.  If the stone isn't quite ready when the loaf is getting there place back in fridge and maybe add a bit more time in the fridge next time or vice versa if the stone is ready but the loaf got so cool it's not quite ready.  

Hope this helps

Josh

JessicaW3's picture
JessicaW3

Thanks so much!  So you would put it in the fridge right after it's been shaped and then pull it out an hour later to rise and then bake or would you shape and let it rise and then stick it in the fridge while the other is baking?

I really appreciate the input :).

golgi70's picture
golgi70

You could use either tactic but if it were me I think I'd put the just shaped loaf in the fridge and find the right timing to pull it back out.  But again i don't know the type of dough your making.  It would be safer this way.  Worst case scenario you have to wait for the loaf to finish its proof.  If you let it out for a bit then retard it will continue proofing in the fridge. You still run the risk of it overproofing if you don't time it right.   But if you got your timing right this would work just as well.  

Another option is doing a final proof in the fridge.  But that again depends on the type of dough and will change your loafs characteristics.  Maybe for the better, maybe for the worse.  

Josh

JessicaW3's picture
JessicaW3

Thanks!

PetraR's picture
PetraR

I did that today, I baked one loaf while the other was in the fridge for that duration, both turned out lovely:)

 

JessicaW3's picture
JessicaW3

Awesome! Thanks for the input :).