Need some advice here.  I've got my chef for my Pain de Seigle ready for 2nd refresher today.  The recipe states to feed it and put it aside for 8hours only. But I'm not available to work on the dough after 8 hours,  can I put it the chef into the fridge and take it out when I'm ready to add in the dough ingredients?

If I do that,  do I need to set it aside to bring it to room temperature first?

Looking forward to your suggestions.

Jenny

Hi all:

I am working on a sourdough rye right now.  It's on its second build, is proofing in the fridge, and due space and time issues has been there since Saturday afternoon.  By the time I bake it this evening, it will have been proofing for nearly 48 hours.  Am I still going to have bread, or will I likely just be baking a HUGE starter?

Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks,

Igwiz

I currently have a home-based specialty bakery based off my grandmother's bread recipe. I use a liquid starter and the result is a soft sweet bread with a thin crust on the top but the bottom is fairly soft. I'm working on a business plan to start a wholesale bakery (not in my home).

I had my bread tested and it has a water activity level between .92 and .94.  I understand that bread with water activity above .85 has to be sold refrigerated or with preservatives. Everything I've read says the standard water activity level for bread is .95. If this is so, how do bakeries or anyone sell fresh preservative-free, non-refrigerated bread? I am going to try to bake my bread at a lower temp for longer time to see if this lowers the water activity level. I don't want to use preservatives or refrigerate it because refrigeration causes staling. Can anyone PLEASE help???