Cold Bulk vs Cold Proof
Hi all, I am looking for some advice. I have access to a commercial kitchen space during nighttime off hours, and I am looking to start a small scale baking operation in little batches of ~20-40 loaves each. The only problem I have is the limited timeframe; there is not enough time in one night to crank out bread. With my schedule, I basically have the options of a cold bulk with a warm proof, warm bulk with a cold proof, or keeping the dough cold for the entire process, a very long 24-26 hour ferment from start to finish. At home, I generally do a cool (65 F) or room temp (72-74 F) bulk from anywhere between 6-8 hours, followed by a 14 hour proof. This yields really great results. I've also done loaves that are cold from start to finish, with an extended 12-14 hour bulk and 12-14 hour proof. I feel like loaves with this method tend to struggle with volume, but if executed properly they come out fine as well. I do have some experience with cold bulking and warm proofing, but it's not nearly as surefire as the prior two. I feel as though the dough is too slack, suffers from an inferior spring, and is generally less forgiving to handle. It's also frustrating, as the limited oven space I have access too means the last loaves will be going in about an hour after the first ones did, which if proofing at room temperature, is enough time to significantly affect the product- not nearly as important if everything is on a speedrack in a walk-in. Cold final proofing is an option as I mentioned earlier, but is kind of a struggle as It means I would have to stick for the bulk ferment very late at night to shape the bread- something like 4am. Does anyone have any advice on this? Also, does anyone have experience with high inoculation percentages? Perhaps I could inoculate at say, 35% for a short warm bulk, and then retard for 10-12 hours. That seems prone to overfermenting too, but I honestly don't know.
I know this is kind of a rambly post but if anyone has input it would be appreciated. Sorry for the disorganization, I have worked in kitchens at scale but not with bread, and my first bake is approaching, so I have lots of ideas and questions floating around in my head.