Holding dough in fridge or freezer?
I am currently experimenting with ways to stretch out my bread-making over the week (I know there is some book, purporting to have a whole system laid out - but I am just interested in modifying traditional bread making). I have found a ratio to maintain my starter by feeding it once a week, keeping it in the fridge, and then giving it a 'wake-up' dose in the morning before I make bread in the afternoon (this saves some $$ on flour, too).
Now I am on to another conundrum: the dough itself. Most of my recipes make two loaves - which is great because I get most of the labor done over the weekend. They call for a 12-24 hour rest in the fridge before the second rise. Up until this point, I have been baking both loaves at once, and then freezing one. However, I am not completely happy with the quality of the second loaf as it comes out of the freezer - it seems to go stale more quickly (a constant problem for all my bread in these dry winters). I wanted to think about pushing the second rise/baking of the second loaf until later in the week.
Finally on to the question: has anyone had any success of holding her/his loaves in the fridge for a longer period? OR frozen the loaf for thawing/baking later?
Yes, after the first 16 hour proof (on counter), I have been refrigerating my no knead dough for up to 7 days. It collapses then over several days very slowly slightly rises in the container while in the refrigerator. Have not tried 14 days in frig yet. Works wonderfully (my experience with refrigeration is superior to freezing). See picture (through the clear container) shows nice gluten structure after several days of cold fermentation in frig. This cold fermentation adds a bit of extra flavor (IMHO). No knead high hydration dough is so much easier to work with with cold. Hardly have to touch it to form loaf. I use a 75% hydration for one loaf (500 grams of bread flour, 375 grams water, 11 grams sea salt or kosher salt, scant 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast) or two loaves (1000 grams bread flour, 750 grams water, 22 grams sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast).
Why don't you take small amounts off each time and build preferments and when it runs low top it up up. Feeding it each time to make a levain means when you return it to the fridge it'll have run out of food. Not a good state to leave it in. Rather, feed the mother starter and leave out for a few hours but not completely exhausted it's food. Take little amounts off each time and build your levain. Then when mother starter runs low, take out of the fridge, feed... Etc.