Retarding in Fridge for Final Proof?

Glezer actually writes more detailed info about that in her book Blessing of Bread so I started doing it with recipes from Artisan Baking.  She likes this method because you get the messy part of bread making out of the way and the next day all you need to do is take out the loaves at the appropriate time, let them warm and ferment for 2 - 3 hours, and bake.  It almost makes you feel giddy!

It is also supposed to create a more sour flavor and the bread will develop more of the bubbles in the finished loaf.  Here is some Columbia I baked a couple weeks ago.  I love this bread.  Now I just need help with slashing.  One out of 3 loaves being slashed properly is not good enough!

(Btw, Glezer says you can leave the shaped loaves to ferment in the fridge for up to 48 hours.)

general rule about up to 48 hours in the fridge for fermentation time after final proof OK for all breads or just the Columbia bread?

Because I was wondering that myself lately. It would be so much better to be able to bake it first thing in the morning rather than at night which is what I find myself doing most times.

Glezer is referring to sourdough breads in general.  She says, "...just after shaping the bread to cover it well with plastic wrap to prevent the skin from drying and put it in the coldest part of the refrigerator, usually the bottom shelf.  The dough can be chilled for 8 to 48 hours.

She says that depending on the consistency of the dough, sometimes the loaves are ready to bake immediately after refrigeration, and sometimes they need an hour or two at room temperature to finish rising (the softer the dough, the more it will have proofed in the refrigerator).  There is no problem in baking cold dough; they do not need to come to room temperature..."

I have used this method several times but I am still having a lot of trouble learning the proper proofing of sourdough.  I guess it all comes down to practice.  At any rate, there are certain breads I now plan that I'll bake the second day after I've prepared the evening levain.  It just makes it so nice on bake day.

Ooooooooooooh, Susan, from one girl to another girl, that is one gorgeous hunka bread!  WOW!!! 

I do love the dark blistery crusts and, yes, dutchbaker, those things were talking to me. The Essential’s Columbia is so flavorful because of the toasted wheat germ and also the barley malt syrup which adds color, too.  I was surprised at how dark it gets.  

Yiuma, I don’t think there should be a concern about shaped loaves getting over proofed in that time period.  But it is important to refrigerate the shaped loaves immediately and not allow them to sit at room temp before you do that. 

Something else I was going to mention is that Glezer also says (I know I sound like a broken record but I have gotten so much great info from her books) that fermenting the shaped loaves not only causes more acetic acid to be produced, thus more sour flavor, but it contributes to the blistered crust and a richly flavored crumb.  So there are a several benefits including the fun of waking up in the morning and thinking, gee, I just have to take my loaves out and bake ‘em. Gawd, I love that. 

Susan, now please tell me what is that loaf of yours?  What recipe – fess up?  How did you get it to look so delectable?  I want to know!  Also, it looks like you did not slash it.  Give up the info.  I want to make one just like that! 

As a maiden baker, I don't have enough experience to have a preferred treatment for crust.  We want all the details, Susan!

Great Subject!

Zola and Susan I'm not sure what you would do for an encore with your loaves looking like that.  Bravo!  I have had a few issues using this method.  In Crust and Crumb Reinhart says to let the shaped dough rise until 1 1/2 times original size before fridging.  It always seems to turn out overproofed for me doing this.  I have also had problems trying to retard large Miches.  I think it takes so long for the interior to cool it ends up overproofed as well.  I am going to give your method of shaping and immediatly fridging a whirl.  The idea of being able to make in the morn and bake the next day is very exciting for those of us with little ones especially.  Do you know what temp your fridge is?  Mine is around 38.  I also might try using cool water and keeping the dough cool during proofing and folding of my larger loaves.  Thanks for sharing a great tip and even better pictures!

Da Crumb Bum 

than I am taking up sports!

YUMMMY! that looks so good.

I have not tried the  no knead bread yet (one of two people left??)

I planned to this week but got sidetracked by Floyd's Honey Whole Wheat and Dan Lepard's Mill Loaf....

 so much bread so little time!

Hello Again

Yes, you can call me Crumby or Bumby or if you were around me today it would probably be Crabby.  (Its a long story)  Back to bread.  When you use this method on a bread that calls for a firm starter to be built the day before baking, could you omit this step?  When you fridge for 24-48 hours you are going to be building flaver like you would making a firm starter.  The problem I see with this is I don't think the dough would begin fermenting for a long time.  For example the Miche I make has only 35g of liquid starter.  After you make the firm you have 300g.  This leads me to ask does the bread need to be very activly fermenting during folding to make good crumb structure?  Yes I am trying to skip another step.  Thanks

Crabby

This recipe calls for only 30 grams of a firm sourdough starter.  It is not a building of a firm starter but a starter that is kept as firm.  You simply make a levain the night before using that firm starter, just as you would with a liquid or batter starter, but the starter amount is still 30 grams firm starter - not to be confused with levain or "recipe starter. "

I baked this bread again this morning.  I made the dough yesterday afternoon.  it is a very dense, heavy dough but when it ferments it really expands and becomes very light.  I suppose I'm not answering your question.  ???  :o)

I'm sure Mountaindog has made this recipe with a liquid starter.  You might want to do a search and see how she does it.

I'm making my standby sourdough this weekend, but I want to try retarding it so I can mix on Saturday and bake on Sunday.  Most of you have said you retard the shaped loaves, but I want to try retarding the unshaped dough after 3 S&F cycles.  It's as much a fridge space consideration as anything.  I don't think I can make enough room for 2 shaped loaves, but I can fit a bowl or oiled bag with dough in it.

It sounds like I could take the dough out of the fridge, wait 2-3 hours, then shape, do the final rise, and bake. Has anyone done it this way?  Is retarding shaped loaves preferred for some reason?

Sue (it's raining, wahoo!) 

I'm having a hard time believing that dough wouldn't be glued to the coils or linen inserts in my proofing baskets after a long retarded proof. You must be proofing in a bowl or some smooth container right?

If I'm wrong about this would someone please set me straight about how to get the dough to release after 24 hours in the basket. With the slack 80-85% doughs I have been using, I don't think so.

Eric

Eric, I have been using my linen-lined bannetons, purchased from SFBI (along with the linen inserts they sell - love those, too), and let those all proof overnight in the fridge.  I have not ever had a problem with them releasing.  I don't over flour them either.  Things don't stick to linen like they do to cotton although I did it with cotton dish towels before I bought the bannetons.

The refrigeration of the shaped loaves does definately create the blisters.  I saw it again with the Columbia I baked last Friday morning to take to my family.  Glezer states to wrap shaped loaves on a metal sheet pan making sure to cover with plastic wrap so they don't dry out overnight in the fridge.  I've done that too with Columbia and it works super.  But the linen bannetons draw moisture out of the dough and the Thom Leonard loaves I proofed this way were the ones that also took the best slash.