October 14, 2008 - 6:55am
when to retard glezer sourdough challah?
i'm trying the 'my sourdough challah' of maggie glezer. i refreshed my starter over night and now mixed up the sourdough starter per her recipe. she says to let that ferment for 8-12 hours. that would put me at about 8 pm tonite. well, then the timing is mix the final dough, ferment 2 hours, shape and then let proof 5 hours and then bake. i really don't want to be baking in the middle of the night, so i'm wondering when is the best time to stick the dough in the fridge? after shaping? and then should i do the 5 hour ferment after that, then bake, or should i add 2 hours onto the 5 hours proof (ferment) because they are coming out of the fridge?
this is my first sourdough challah attempt. thanks so much for your advice!
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I would shape it and put it into the fridge at that point.
Exactly how long it'll take to come to a full proof when removed from the fridge is a bit trickier to determine, as it will do some proofing while it is in there and it also depends on your kitchen temp when it comes out, as well as the vigor of your starter.
Basically, monitor it, and when it is proofed fully, brush it with egg, sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds, then pop that gorgeous hunk of dough into the oven. Do not go by the clock, but by the dough itself.
It is quite a flexible recipe. I first tried it a year or two ago and have used the technique and ideas to make challahs ever since (varying flours, sweetener, butter instead of oil, etc).
Boron
But I hope that you can let me know how it came out and if it is worth the effort.
Thanks
Sharon
www.thebraidedloaf.com