May 31, 2020 - 9:36am
Dough doesn't rise in fridge
Hi, I have tried on two occasions (still very new to sourdough) to either bulk ferment or proof two different doughs in the fridge.
Both times the dough just sleeps in the fridge and the real action happens only after I take it out of the fridge.
Is it because my starter is not strong enough? It is a 100% hydration, all purpose flour starter which doubles when fed, gets bubbly and pass the float test.
Share
I’m a broken record here, but we need more information.
What was your procedure/formula here? If you tried to mix up your dough and toss it right in the fridge, I can already tell you you’re not gonna see a lot of success there. But I need more information
If I were you, I would avoid the fridge as a beginning sourdough baker. I would get to know the signs of proper fermentation at room temperatures. Knowing when bulk is done is a tricky thing for a beginner, and putting your dough in the fridge is obfuscating all the “clues”, so to speak.
If you reeeeaally want to use the fridge, retard the finished shaped dough in the banneton. This also will necessitate some trial and error depending on your dough, method, and temperature of your fridge. If your fridge is so cold that you won’t see nearly any yeast activity, then you may need to do most of the (physical change of the) final proof at room temp before putting it in the fridge. What temperature is your fridge *where the dough is being put*? (One way to do this is leaving a glass of water in that spot until it’s come to fridge temp, and then taking the temp of that water.
I halved this recipe for the dough currently proofing in the banneton in the fridge. I don't yet know the temperature of my fridge but it surely isn't the ones that are too cold. If anything, I wish it were colder.
Followed the method pretty much like the recipe except I had to stretch and fold 5 times before reaching windowpane.
Followed the method like what recipe? I don't see a method here.
Are you bulking in the fridge or at room temp? Are you final proofing in the fridge or at room temp? Also, what temperatures have you been fermenting at when not in the fridge?
Put a glass of water in your fridge *where you've been putting the dough*, wait an hour, and take the temp of the water. What temperature is it?
To give you a helpful answer, more information is required. How long does your starter take to peak?
You won't see much rising in the refrigerator. I bulk ferment until it is ready (often over night), shape, place in a banneton, let proof about an hour or so at room temp so some additional rise takes place (but not much), then pop in the fridge for at least 3 hours. We don't like our bread super sour at our house, so I go for a shorter cold retard, but some recipes call for much longer. It won't look like much has happened during that time. I remove the dough from the fridge, straight onto parchment, score, place inside my pre-heated clay bakers, and pop into a pre-heated oven...and typically get very nice oven spring with this method, despite the cold loaves starting out looking not impressively risen.
When you say the 'real action' only happens after being taken out of the fridge, do you mean you are letting it rise again after that at room temp before baking or are you referring to oven spring? If you mean oven spring, that is correct...cold loaves will spring up in a super hot oven and that is what you want. If you are proofing, again, on the counter at room temp, after a bulk ferment and cold retard, you might be wasting valuable dough energy that could be used in the oven.
Thank you for the heads up on baking straight with cold proofed dough! I am so pleased with the recent loaves baked this way.
You are very welcome! I'm glad it worked out for you. Those are some beautiful loaves with a lovely, light crumb. Looks like you shaped and scored them very nicely too. Well done, and Happy Baking!
Those looks realy great.
Thank you Dbazuin! I am happy with how they turned out!
...and, others (including myself) might be interested in more recipe and process details as far as bulk/proof times (in addition to your ingredient amounts noted above.
The recipe I have used is FoodGeek's.
https://foodgeek.dk/en/sourdough-bread-recipe-for-beginners/
It's a lower hydration dough and easier to work with. Great for beginners like me.
You're a good photographer too. Good photography always makes the bread look tastier!
We eat with our eyes first.
Really beautiful baking. Great crumb, oven spring and blisters.
Benny
Thank you for the encouragement Benny!