The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

How do you ensure results on a fixed schedule?

UpsideDan's picture
UpsideDan

How do you ensure results on a fixed schedule?

When baking bread at home, especially sourdough, I find that scheduling is a bit of a hit and miss. The timing for getting the dough ready can vary due to so many factors: the maturity of the starter, temperatures, how many times someone opened the fridge’s door when the dough is retarded, age of the flour, how much gluten was developed and so on and so on. This is all fine when the schedule is flexible and you can do more or less fermentation to accommodate these variables. However, sometime you just need to have the bread ready at an exact time, let’s say for a party, and it can be very disappointing to have a dough that is not properly developed. On the other hand, you don’t want to start the whole process two early (to provide more time flexibility) as you want the bread to be baked close to that deadline. Any one can provide some hints and possible solutions for this problem?

estherc's picture
estherc

I take my starter out in the evening 2 days before baking and feed it. Make my preferment 1st thing the next am. Its ready to use in late afternoon. I ferment at room temp then the loaves are ready to shape at bedtime. Into the fridge, bake straight out of the fridge first thing in the morning. 

 

The only timing I find essential is to be sure it doesn't over ferment.

Anne_dawa's picture
Anne_dawa

I bake often so I feed my starter everyday, twice a day (7:30PM and 7:30AM). After feeding it in the morning, it's ready to go 5-6 hours later (at 76F). Controlling the temperature is important to get a fixed schedule on starter growth and dough development. I bulk ferment for about 6 hours or so (at 76F) so after shaping in the evening it goes straight to the fridge to retard overnight, where fermentation will slow considerably.  I bake first thing in the morning when I get up.

David R's picture
David R

... is ways of forcing some parts or steps of the process to happen at predictable times, when naturally they wouldn't. These particular plans work because they've chosen to reschedule something that won't be ruined by being delayed until "time X".

Theoretically, you could choose to introduce a planned delay at some other step instead - and in fact you might be able to. But the usual best spots for delaying are hopefully all found by now. ?

(My usual method is to delay at every step, causing me to finish in the middle of the night with a poor result. ?)

barryvabeach's picture
barryvabeach

Dan,  I have been playing with a related issue, how to fit sourdough into a work schedule - though my solution may work for you as well. First, if I am making bread for a party, I will bake it either the day before or the morning of the party.  Sourdough bread does not stale as quickly as commercial yeast bread, and in some cases its flavor gets better.  In terms of scheduling, it is helpful to have a wine cooler, as well as a proofer or at least an ability to put the dough in a warm place for a little while.  

My process is to try to do the same steps every time, controlling as much as possible, and trying out the process during the weekend so I can see what is going on at certain times.  When the dough is ready for bulk ferment, it goes into the wine cooler at a set temp - for a set time.  When I take it out, if it hasn't reached the volume I wanted, it goes into a 90 to 95 degree place till ready.  When BF is done, then shape and final proof in my fridge -  the goal is to have it slightly underproofed when I take it out of the fridge - then I put in it a 90 to 95 degree place and watch it so I can see when it is ready to go into the oven.  

Basically, by putting it in the cooler or the fridge, I slow things down, if when I am ready , the dough is ready, then great, if not ,  I put it in the warm place to speed everything up.  It is not perfect, but if you control the temp and timing , and that goes for the starter refreshes as well, your results should get more consistent.   BTW,  you can usually find small used wine coolers for sale pretty cheaply. 

Jsirons@argmax.com's picture
Jsirons@argmax.com

I do most of my baking near midnight. Kids jobs etc. 

sourdough mostly reserved for weekends. 

I have had good luck though with proofing in the fridge during the day - shape in the am and pop in. Take it out when u get back from work and finish proof for an hour or two while preheating the over. 

Bulk overnight prior.