August 7, 2016 - 12:24pm
Letting dough rise overnight
I usually let my doughs rise in the fridge overnight so I have it ready for baking in the morning. Sometimes, I am concerned that they don't proof properly. Should I let it sit at room temperature for a while before putting it in the refrigerator? Or am I doing the right thing by putting it directly in the fridge to proof?
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It depends upon whether the bread has risen enough or not. I know, that's not a good answer for you. If the dough has risen the proper amount then it is ready. In the morning when you take iit out of the refrigerator check the dough with the two finger indentation test to see whether it has risen enough. If it has not risen enough, leave it out at room temperature to rise some more.
Ford
is to not use the fridge, but to use a fraction of the yeast and do it at room temperature
I do this 5 days a week - in addition to the sourdoughs (which rise the same way), my yeasted breads are left at room temperature (my aim is 18°C, but it's a little warmer right now). I use a fraction of the normal yeast for them. In the morning I do the usual scale/shape - into tin/banneton, proof and bake operation. The usually take between 1 and 2 hours for the proof stage.
-Gordon
Like Gordon, I use a very small amount of culture (5 to 10g) in a 20% sponge and leave that for 12 hours overnight on the worktop. By morning, it is fully up and running. In the morning, I do the usual - mix, autolyse, s&f, bulk ferment, divide/shape and prove. It's like clockwork :-)
For my little home-based bakery I bulk-ferment all doughs overnight in the fridge, reducing the yeast to the amount that is doing the lifting, but not overfementiing. If I want to use even less yeast, I leave the dough at room temperature for an hour before refrigerating it.
I don't do the entire overnight fermentation on the kitchen counter, since the temperature in my Maine kitchen varies, and I need a reliable rising time.
Karin