The Fresh Loaf

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Bringing old dough back to life.

Pain Partout's picture
Pain Partout

Bringing old dough back to life.

I have been playing around with refrigerated doughs, and modifications of these doughs, from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  I have some old pizza dough using "Earl's" Thin Crisp Pizza Dough with Semolina. Excellent modification, thanks Earl.    I forgot ther remaining dough in the fridge....it is now 16 days old!  I want to turn this into bread,...but what should I do to make the lax high-hydration dough come back to life?  Should I add new yeast?  Do another preferment?  Just throw it out......? 

Floydm's picture
Floydm

I wouldn't add more yeast... it ought to be plenty fermented by now!  If it smells strongly of alcohol I'd probably chuck it out (not that it'd hurt you, just that I think it'd come out pretty nasty).  If you shape it and it seems like it still has some life in it, throw it in oven and see what comes out.  Worst case, it comes out a brick or a pancake and you toss it out.

Pain Partout's picture
Pain Partout

Floydm.  It doesn't smell like 80 proof.... guess I won't make any $$ selling it. Just looks pretty "limp" in its 5-quart refer container.  But....sigh...I don't want to waste my time making a brick or a pancake.  Likely will,...though.  Thanks for your comment.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Chuck it.

nbicomputers's picture
nbicomputers

i would not chuck it but i would not bake it ether.

bakers allways end up with old dough that goes unused. just mix a fresh dough and a pert of the old dough to the new batch you can add about 20% by wieght to the new dough.

so if making 100 oz of new dough you could add up to 20 oz of the old dough to the new batch

or you could make a diferent dough calling for some old dough as in the following formula for old fashond crulers

sugar 14 oz
salt 1oz
milk powder 4oz
shortening 7oz
vanilla and lemon flavor
mace or nutmeg
old dough 8 to 16oz
eggr 8oz
water 2lb
cake flour 1 lb 8oz
breag flour 2 lb 8oz
baking powder 3oz

just mix to a smoth dough and rest about 10 minutes

cut into 2 oz pieces and shape into bow tie or twist crulers and fry at 350 for about 1 minute turn and fry 1 more minut (1 minute on each side)

finish when still hot by rolling them in cinnamon sugar or let cool and finish by dusting with powdered sugar.

these can also be froxen after shapping for about a week

if frozen let come to room temp and fry as above

summerbaker's picture
summerbaker

I had no idea that you can add up to 20% old dough to a new batch.  That is a very useful fact - totally changes my outlook on trying to make "just enough" for the loaves that I want to bake immediately.  Maybe I won't worry so much next time...

BTW I've been trying to talk my husband into getting a small deep fryer since he tends to freak out over the splatter that results from my stovetop kettle frying.  Your crulers sound like a great first recipe to try in one!

Summer

Pain Partout's picture
Pain Partout

Thanks all, for your comments.  I finally decided to bite the bullet, be brave, and try to refresh it as a sourdough.   I weighed out the dough as 22 oz.  I added 22 oz of a 100% hydration new "starter" (about 1 Cup all purp flour + 1 Cup water).  I cheated by adding 1 tsp dry yeast and 1/2 tsp Diastatic Malt powder....fearful that the original yeast may have been killed off by the over fermentation.  Beat all together, left in 5 quart pot, and left to sit on the counter for 3 hours, in which time the still lax,shaggy mess had doubled. 

Then, ...added 2 tsp salt, and 2 cups bread flour. Mixed all with spoon, turned out on counter and incorporated about 3/4 C additional bread flour (almost 3C total "new" flour was added by the the time of forming the loaves).      

Folded all.  Set aside for 30 min covering with a towel.  After the initial 30 min rest, I refolded and rested an additional 30 min. 

Lightly shaped into two "logs" (1# 12 oz each), placing them on cornmeal-sprinkled parchment.   Rested for another 30 minutes while preheating oven to 450 degrees convection.  The loaves were not doubled at time of baking.

Baked on stone for 35 min.  Voila...!  Very good bread, with great oven spring. 

NEVER throw out that old-over-the-hill dough...?  It's good to be cheap...?   Thanks for giving me courage.

Pain Partout's picture
Pain Partout

Thanks for the update on your "Ale dough", PLloydie.  You must have this tightly sealed?  Otherwise,...how could it become anaerobic?  Wouldn't a little Oxygen sneak in, if you are allowing the extra Carbon dioxide to escape?  Do you have a "water lock" on the dough bowl..similar to what you might use in making a brewski?   Don't you HAVE to vent the excess Carbon dioxide produced by the fermentation, or risk blowing the lid off your bowl? 

Pain Partout's picture
Pain Partout

Ahhhh..... "Our mate, Louis".  I knew him well (NOT).   We should have had his ornately-framed picture over the benches of the laboratories I have been enslaved within.  More exciting than counting spores, or having me hands totally gooed up in making slides.  Love making bread,...I was always messy.

 

How's the Solid Beer "mutating"......?

 

 

 

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Mini