April 12, 2009 - 10:36am
Why doesn't my dough rise in oven?
Greetings
I have a starter that I made at home, and keep in the fridge to make my doughs.
It works fine, and when I use in a dough, it doubles in 4 hours, and becomes 4 times its volume in 8 hours. The problem is that, after shaping to make a large pizza, and covering for 2 hours, when I put it in the oven it doesn't rise! I've tried many times, but it only rises if I allow it to rise for 6 hours after shaping, and before starting the oven. Is that normal? does sourdough needs that much time (8h, then 6h after shaping)?
I've also noticed that if I left the dough, in the first stage of rising, few more hours, after it has risen, it starts to go down, and develops a mild alcoholic smell. Should I avoid leaving it till it reaches that stage?
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"It works fine, and when I use in a dough, it doubles in 4 hours, and becomes 4 times its volume in 8 hours."
Why are you allowing your dough to quadruple its volume? Dough should be doubled (usually around 4 hours), shaped, then allowed to proof again, usually for around 2-4 hours depending on temperature. If you're allowing it to quadruple, then shaping it and waiting for it to double again you are over-proofing your bread.
So its 'over proofing' then. Thanks for the tip.
I don't purposely allow it to become 4 times its volume, I just prepare it at night for the next morning. Ah, I forgot to mention that I'm referring to the no-knead type of dough, (using 2 cups water and 4 cups flour).
Anyhow, I'll take your advise and let it only double, then shape then proof again (till doubled?).
To avoid over proofing, can I do the following: shape the pizza dough, and when doubled I half-bake it, then the next day, before serving time, I add the sauce, toppings and cheese, then bake it fully? do you think this will work fine? is there any similar recipe somehwere that I can follow?
They way I make my sourdough pizza is I knead or use stretch and fold, then let it bulk rise until doubled -- less than double if using stretch and fold -- then form individual dough balls for each pizza and put them in the refrigerator. I do this at least twenty-four hours before I bake, and the dough lasts in the fridge for five or more days. When I'm ready to bake, I take the ball out twenty or thirty minutes before I form the dough for baking. I never raise the pizza dough after it's final flat form -- oven spring handles the rise of the crust.
Cider, your method sounds super easy. I'm definitely going to give it a try. My kids like pizza all the time, and if I can make dough in bulk and refregirate for days, anytime they want a pizza, I just take one out and it will be ready to bake in 30 min.!
of what's up with the 8 hour thing! The original no-knead bread doesn't get a second rising. Just shape and into the oven directly. I doubt it has enough oomph left to really handle a second rise, as you've noted.
Check this video for the original no-knead bread recipe and technique.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU
I would guess that you could bake your crust as you mention. I've only done pizza once, and that was because I overhydrated a bread I was making and had to rescue it somehow. The problem, of course, is that it ended up making AWESOME pizza - and I don't know how I messed up to get it that way to start with!
Sounds like you are over-proofing. I take my dough out between 1 and 1 1/2 hours before I shape & bake.
--Pamela
Yes Pamela, I never read 'over-proofing' warnings before, but that clearly explains my past failures.
After reading the replies here, I searched, and found interesting info that combines the use of sourdough + no-knead method + fridge fermentation, here:
http://www.breadtopia.com/sourdough-no-knead-method/
plus this post:
http://www.breadtopia.com/sourdough-no-knead-method/#comment-13234
Rhine Meyering's method is to use only 1/8 cup of starter (I used to add 1 full cup, that's why I was over-proofing without me knowing it! until I read your replies here), mix the dough and refregirate (before proofing) for 2 days, then take out and proof for 18 hours.
For practicality's sake, I'll do this in reverse: mix, proof for 18 hours first, then refergirate for 2 or more days. Hopefully, if that worked, I'll be ready for baking anytime, as it will only take me 30 min to shape and be ready for the oven. Do you think this will work?
I'll let you know how this turned out.