December 23, 2009 - 3:54pm
Multiple Bulk Fermentations
What is gained by multiple rises? Why not just one bulk fermentation, like most recipes call for?
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What is gained by multiple rises? Why not just one bulk fermentation, like most recipes call for?
Can you point to the recipe that tells you to do multiple rises?
Here's Rose Beranbaum's dinner roll recipe:
http://chezannies.blogspot.com/2009/04/buttery-dinner-rolls-recipe.html
It made my head spin just reading the Beranbaum recipe. And there was no photo of the crumb to show what all that time and effort was supposed to accomplish.
Judging from the comments of the blogger, there was no major taste difference between the two roll recipes.
Perhaps someone has the Beranbaum book and can let us know if the author offers any explanation for requiring two two-hour fermentations. Beats me.
or different from her other recipes. She does not make any special points about the method. I make her Cracked wheat bread from the same chapter in the book regularly (like tonight), and this is standard operating procedure for that recipe as well. You make the sponge, cover it with the remaining flour mixture, and let it ferment for 1 to 4 hours. Then you mix and knead the dough, and put it down for bulk fermentation till doubled. After it has roughly doubled you do a stretch and fold, put it back down to ferment again. After it nearly doubles one more time then you form it, proof it and bake it.
I have not made these rolls, but I have made the cracked wheat (see here) and it is absolutely wonderful to taste, and easy to make. It follows the same pattern, and it really is not so bad when you get into it. The rises don't seem to take anywhere near the time she prescribes, even in my cold kitchen, though. The bread does not keep though. It dissappears almost as soon as I've finished baking!
Happy Baking!
OldWoodenSpoon
And finer crumb is finer texture. Flavor would be the same if the total fermenting times & temps are the same. The use of multiple bulk rises occurs with doughs using commercial yeast. Before the use of stretch and fold, it was one way to improve on gluten strength and reduce all medium to large bubbles. I think it stems from correcting a dough that may have too much active yeast and moving along too fast. Probably ever since commercial yeast came onto the market.
Method patterns are hard to shake off. Here it appears in recipe that might not even need it. Maybe the original recipe included more yeast. Or no pre-ferment.
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