Cold Final Proof

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PizzaCalcio on 4 Jan 2021 at 15:02

Hello!

trying to become as efficient as I can with my Dutch oven - tried cold proofing a loaf in the banneton and threw in the next morning

specs:

50% Central Milling ABC+, 50% Mulino Marino Pandisempre 

72% hydration level dough , 50% prefermented flour (Biga) ,  0.2% total dry yeast 

made enough for two loaves -

first loaf was my usual , 3 hr bulk at 70F with 2 stretch and folds , 2 hr final proof - into a 500F oven (in my challenger Pan) , turning down to 460 when going in oven, 20 min top on pan, then 10 min off 

second loaf - 3 hr bulk at 70F with 2 stretch and folds , 15 min final proof then into fridge for 14 hours , pulled out of fridge the next morning , let sit for about 45 min as the oven was preheating - then same oven process as my first one 

my cold proofed loaf didn’t have as much spring as the first and the crumb was a little tighter, although it was still a good loaf 

Any thoughts on my process? My cold proofed loaf was a little hard on top when I pulled out of fridge, only covered with towel which probably wasn’t enough , this could have attributed to poor spring.

Also, does anyone have any tips for maximizing the number of loaves you can make in a home oven? 

I apologize for any misspellings or lack of punctuation, currently typing this with my 6 month old on my arm - here’s to a happy and healthy new year for everyone! 

 

Try giving your loaf a little more floor time before refrigerating (retarding). Perhaps 30-40 min at room temp, then covered and into the fridge.

Try not to degas the dough when shaping it. That will help get a wild open crumb.

I personally like the crumb you have achieved, it is perfect for spreads that don’t leak out.

When you’re doing a cold retard in the fridge, you’ll want to place your banneton in a plastic bag in order to prevent it from drying out.  I’ve been using plastic reusable shower caps for some time now to cover bowls and I also just use it to cover the banneton while the dough is in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Benny