One vs Two risings before shaping and over proofing?
Hello everyone!
I read on different threads here that "you probably overproofed the dough during the first rising so it didn't rise very well second time, (or some other small mishap)...."
However I see recipes that often direct you to gently deflate the dough after its doubled in volume and let it rise again till doubled in volume before final shaping. I did a brioche recipe where it asks you to let it triple in volume before deflating it and then let the dough rise again in fridge ON.
Accidentally, while I was preparing a recipe from Reinhart's ABED, I let the dough sit on the counter for a short while instead of placing it in the fridge right away and it had doubled already. I did a little stretch and folds to deflate it some and refrigerated. Next day the dough had more than tripled in the fridge. However as I was shaping, the two risings made the texture of the dough so much better. Softer and stretchy-er and more resilient. The texture of the bread was better too. Didn't look like the dough or bread had suffered for having proofed/risen twice before shaping and baking. Now I routinely proof twice before shaping at least with the recipes from this book. I really like the way dough becomes. Isn't it a good thing that the dough feels so much better?
So my question is: If you can overproof by letting the dough a little too long during the first rising then how can you proof twice and still get good results? Isn't the yeast merrily eating away the sugars during the second rising just as much?
What unfortunate things can happen if you let rise twice before shaping or let the dough rise too much (3X volume)? Does the bread taste less sweet? Or? Is there something I should be aware of?
Thank you so much!
I almost always give my bread dough two rises in the bowl before shaping and baking, and I've even let the dough triple in bulk before shaping. I do know that if I let it rise too high in the pans before baking that it can deflate when the heat hits it, but honestly, I've never known why. One thing I have noticed is that when the dough has risen nicely, but not overly so, in the pans, when it's hit by a blast of heat it stops any oven spring from happening so it may look as if it's been overproofed. Giving it two rises in the bowl generally helps to give the finished bread a nice lift.
Thank you for your posting PaddyL. I now consistently do two risings too prior to shaping and final proofing. My second rising is always in the fridge ON, almost 24 hrs, because I never have so much time in a day, but more for flavor. But I do an extra rise, and not just one in the fridge, because I find the dough just seems to work better, the texture and rise in the final bread is better, just as you do! I still don't get this 'overproofing during the first rise' bit. Guess I will understand soon enough when I have made enough of different breads! Thanks!