June 3, 2009 - 2:28pm
Question Regarding Vermont Rye Sourdough Retardation
I made Hamelman's Vermont Rye again the other day and it didn't really come out right. After letting the levain sit for 15 hours, I made the final dough and threw it in the fridge for bulk fermentation overnight. The next morning it had grown in size somewhat but was so soupy (somewhere between batter and dough) I couldn't handle it. Furthermore, I had to add a ton of flour just to get it to the point where I could feel comfortable transferring it to a banneton. I then retarded it for another 12 hours and baked it.. It came out alright, if a bit spongy.
Thoughts?
is it a bad idea to retard bulk fermentation? Does this get in the way of the autolyse?