April 29, 2008 - 8:27pm
Stretch, Fold, and then...
what? Is a bulk ferment necessary? For sourdough, I do a Stretch and Fold about every 45 minutes for a totlal of three or four S&Fs. With yeasted doughs, it's usually a total of three S&Fs at 20 minute intervals. At this point, I just shape the dough , let rise and bake. Would a bulk ferment after the final S&F be beneficial?
Larry
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Lets add it all up:
Sourdough up to 180 minutes or three hours. This is about the fermentation time for my "no sour taste" sourdoughs, so if using that much starter that the dough has about doubled in that time I whould say you do not need to bulk ferment. The time between the s&f:s is time fermenting.
Yeasted dough 80 minutes seems kind of short. But I do not know how much yeast you use, the recepie, dough temperature etc. I often ferment yeasted doughs for 90-120 minutes and sourdough for 180-240 minutes with the odd 12 hour ferment threwn in here and there.
Glezer (ABAA: Thom Leonard's French Country Bread) does 3 folds at 30 minute intervals (30 min. 60 min and 90 min.) then allows the dough to proof for the remaining 1.5 hours (of the 3 hour bulk fermentation cycle) before dividing and shaping. Actually, in this recipe she bakes a 4 lb boule, so there's no dividing---just shaping. When I bake this recipe I divide the dough in half (2 two pound boules) and shape them. It's then left for 4 hrs. during final proofing. This recipe, which requires a liquid livain, produces a subtle sour taste with lots of flavor.
Howard - St. Augustine, FL