partially degassed shaped loaf
I searched and didn't find a clear answer to my question so here it is. My dough doubled in size, then I shaped it into a sandwich loaf (it felt great in my hands), greased the loaf pan, and put the dough into the loaf pan, it doubled in the loaf pan and crested slightly above the lip. I didn't have time to wait for the second rise in the loaf pan, baking, etc so I let it sit out. This morning it was slightly degassed and the dough was now slightly under the lip so it no longer looks as poofy. My question is, should I leave it alone and see what happens or should I go ahead degass, reshape and let it rise again keeping my fingers crossed that life doesn't interfere tonight?! And please let me know if this is the wrong forum to post this question.
I've been baking bread for more than 30 years and hadn't yet run into one that called for a second rise after shaping and placing in the loaf pan. But, hey, there's always the first time. My experience is that the shaped loaf is only given one (sometimes called final) rise in the pan and then is baked.
What you have right now is a seriously over-proofed dough. I'm not sure that it will have enough food left for the yeast to give it another go. Here are your choices: do as you have described with reshaping/rising (just once!)/baking or you could start making a bread that calls for old dough (aka pate fermentee). If you go the first route, you may get a usable loaf of bread and you may not. Only one way to find out. If you choose the second route, you should have some very tasty bread given the lengthy fermentation your dough has already experienced.
Paul
Paul, Thank you for responding.
Hm, maybe my wording is off. The recipe is Peter Reinhart' Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf. This one.
I'm going to assume I have to do day 2 of the recipe ALL in the same day and I won't be able to break it up.
I do have some pate fermentee recipes in the BBA book so maybe I'll give that a try so I don't waste what I have.
Isabel
yes, your wording was fine. It was my understanding that was deficient.
As written, the formula assumes that you would do all of Day 2 in one continuous process, with a total elapsed time of around 3 hours or a little more from combining the ingredients to taking the bread out of the oven.
You could insert a break at either of two points. The first option would be to put the mixed and kneaded dough in the refrigerator for the bulk rise, which will take several hours at those temperatures. Then take it out, shape, ferment at room temperature and bake. The second option would be to bulk ferment the mixed and kneaded dough at room temperature, shape, then place the shaped loaves in the refrigerator for their final rise. After they rise, pull them from the fridge and bake. Bernard Clayton uses the second option for his Honey-Lemon Whole Wheat bread, if you have access to his Complete Book of Breads.
Either of these would work well for a Saturday morning bake if you put everything into the refrigerator before going to bed on Friday night.
Paul
Paul, thank you. I will look further into that and try both methods as an experiment so that I can figure out which will work best for me.
BTW, I made the Pain de campagne from BBA using my old dough. It worked out pretty well. I didn't get a big oven spring, but the bread had a nice crust and super soft and springy inside with plenty of holes (on the small side). I've learned several lessons with this one and so I'll call it a success. Thanks again.
Isabel