Towel/Wet towel vs wrap foil vs airtight lid
I've been pondering about this and would like to ask the forum, what is the consensus on best cover for our rising dough? I've been afraid of using airtight lids like tupperware, because if the dough rises, it squeezes the air that is above it, thus increasing pressure. Inreased pressure will push down on the dough, thus decreasing the potential growth, until the equilibrium is hit ie. pressure from the dough can't push anymore against pressurized air in the container.
About towel vs other covers, assuming that our goal with covering the dough is preventing it to become dry, isn't towel always the worst option? Towel might prevent movement of air, but the water still can evaporate and escape through towel, compared to wrapper foil/airtight lid. I don't know whether evaporation is a considerable problem compared to drying process caused by movement of air that carries moisture away, if it isn't then towels can be a good alternative.
Many times when i left the dough in airtight container which was then placed in the fridge i found a considerable amount of condensation inside, whether on the dough or on the lid. Should i reincorporate that water into dough? I assume it would be unwise to place a dough covered with towel in the fridge, as fridge can quickly dry things put inside.
Condensation during retardation is not a problem. Insee that as a good thing.
Have you seen THESE? They make great covers.
This even looks like can be reusable and wrapper/stretch foil is not. Definitely trying this.
I reuse them all the time. They are great for covering bannetons, mixing bowls, and anything else that needs protection from drying out or keeping out off flavors in the fridge.
I've bought plastic covers with elastic but they end up falling apart on me. I already had a roll of plastic bags I use for my bread so I went to Staples and bought a pack of large rubber bands. Staples Oversized Rubber Bands, 24/Pack (28628-CC) at Staples. Now when I need a cover I grab a bag that I've cut open and a rubber band.
In Europe, we have these:
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Toppits-Cover-Elastic-Waistband-Pack/dp/B01I3MM248
I use plastic shower caps that fit loosely over bowls allowing gases to release that are produced during fermentation. I also use them over the bannetons during cold retard in the fridge eventhough they cover them very loosely in the fridge that has worked for me. I have reused these for many many months and torn only one.
Benny
years ago, doing homework in a civil engineering hydrology course, I realized that as long as the towel is damp the airspace between the dough and the towel will be humid. In the fridge with no other cover it will all dry out overnight, but a damp towel under a plate will do.
and then after forming the bread, I have a clean damp towel right there to tidy with.
I stitched stretchable cotton covers from old lint-free tea towels/sheets to the dimensions of my proofing bowl (same size as my KA bowl). Cover the bowl, spray the cotton cover with water just enough to keep it damp and then cover with a plastic shower cap. Usually even after an overnight cold retard the cloth cover is still damp with some condensation on the plastic cap :)
oh clever! Something impermeable above the wet towel to prevent evaporation in the non-dough direction. I’ll see how much putting a platter over the towel on the bowl slows down the towel drying out.
obviously I’m currently aiming to have as few different kinds of things in the kitchen as I can. It simplifies putting away and knowing if I have enough, but also I like the game.
I have giant ziploc bags that easily fit an entire pro kitchenaid bowl with space to spare. I put a bowl of dry ingredients in to protect from humidty, I warm bulk with it and cold bulk with it and when I put shaped dough on a pan to proof, I put the whole pan in the bag.