Retard Anything?

But from what I understand, any breads will benefit from the retard in the fridge. Some breads (lean breads, without or small amount of fat content and sourdough), will benefit more than other from the retardation.

I think one thing you have to consider when retard your dough is making sure that you adjust the yeast amount in the recipe as you don't want your dough to be too hyperactive and overferemented by sitting hours and hours in the fridge. However, if it's sourdough bread, there shouldn't be issues as long as you don't retard your loaves/dough more than 18 hours (I think, this figure is sort of on top of my head from Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread book). JH suggested that if the retardation is over 18 hours, you have to adjust your dough temperature so that the bread won't be overfermented.

Hope this helps and it's correct? I'm sure someone will come in and help correcting my info if it's incorrect.

Enyoy your baking!

Sue

http://youcandoitathome.blogspot.com/

rye flour over 50% of the dough flour, the final rise does not retard well in the refrigerator.   The temperature is too cold.  

As far as timing goes for retarding other doughs, one has to consider how long the dough has already fermented, temperature and the mass of the dough.  

If the dough has been fermenting  (including bacteria growth even when yeast growth is minimal -- sour but no rise) at ideal temperatures long enough and the dough integrity is falling apart (overproofed) then any amount of retarding is futile.   The dough could then be thought of as a large amount of ripe starter (with added ingredients.)

that very rich in butter and other ingredients are also retarded overnight.  Curil Hitz retards his sweet dough overnight and freezes his brioche.  

Pam