Sourdough Bread - Can I proof and then retard
Although I have been lurking here for a year, this is my first post. Let me start out by saying how terrific this site is and how much I have learned. Thanks so much (and I bought Floyd's book - terrific!).
I have been baking sourdough breads, with my own starter, for about a year. My usual process, from Emmanuel Hadjiandreou "How to Bake Bread" (wonderful, btw) is to stretch and fold every 10 minutes for about an hour, ferment for an hour, shape, proof for 4 hours, then bake.
I want to be able to bake first thing in the morning with minimal delay. Can I proof for 4 hours, retard overnight and then bake? the other day, I proofed for an hour and then put it in the fridge. In the morning, there looked like there was no rise. So, I let it proof for 4 hours and then baked. Came out great but it took longer than I wanted.
So, I think I can:
- proof for 4 hours, retard overnight, then bake or
- not proof at room temperature, but retard for 24 hours and then bake? or
- ?
Thanks very much in advance.
- Mitch