Overnight Fridge Proving

[Berti66]

*licking the screen*
YUM mick, nice!!!

I agree on the baking straight from the fridge after letting the proven dough spend the night there.
Somehow seems to make things easier to handle.
When I have to bake a few loaves, this is my preferred method of working to the goals.

berti

[JennyR]

Well alarm failing and sleeping in to 10am seems like an ideal opportunity to test the 'cook from fridge in a cold oven' theory if I want any bread for lunch. We'll see how it goes

[JennyR]

Darn have realised not true scientific experiment without a second loaf of same dough to take from fridge and put in the now hot oven to see how it compares As it is it's now cooked but not looking as good as the loaf made from same batch and proved and cooked normally last night. Though still looks edible

[pab]

It is the old story of doing what you can in the time/circumstances you have I suppose.

I have never created bread that I have been completely satisfied with after refrigerating shaped dough - retarding dough in bulk I am much keener on although I must add that it can also be a bit problematic in relation to timings.

Mick, your bread (crumb in particular) looks wonderful - what is the way around the slightly pallid crust that I have always achieved?

Pete

[bethesdabakers]

Hiya Pete,

Hope you two are both thriving in euroland.

I never claimed to have any technical knowledge because I don't. Professor Dougal I'm sure can tell us but I assumed that pale crust was linked to long fermentation, the sugars breaking down, etc. But I was noticing on Friday that my campagnes were looking particularly pale and these were only in bulk overnight so, once again, I'm confused.

Wish WE were in euroland.

Mick

[Jacqueline]

Hello,

I had been reading this thread closely since I had friends for dinner last night and to fit timings wanted to bake from the fridge. This is how it turned out:



The few slices were all that was leftover. It was about 1200g dough- I THINK it's Dan's white leaven (with some rye) but my mother has purloined my copy of THML so I was working from memory. I mixed it 24 hours ahead in the early morning, left it in the fridge till early evening, and then let it prove at room temp for three hours folding each hour. After shaping it went back in the fridge overnight and was baked straight from the fridge. I actually expected it to spring out a bit more and I never get all the bubbles that I want, but it tasted fabulous. Plus the timings fitted into the weekend really well. I'm going to practise a bit more....if I had more fridge space would love to try an experiment with different conditions.

Cheers,

Jacqueline

[pab]

Hello Mick

We're thriving well enough, thanks. Not so sure about the Euro but reading things on the British economy is like reading horror stories. I suspect the difference here is that the economics have been run on a less dramatic level - ie less boom/bust, borrowing etc. Problematic in its own way, actually.

I would probably get confused with too much science anyway (what does Dougal do for a living?)

Interestingly, we have hit a cool spell so I have played with turning the bathroom into a retarding chamber. Normal bulk and then about seven hours in the couche worked quite well.

Should also mention that (trumpets and drums, flags out, huge hoorahs etc) we now have an oven and I am baking again! About time I posted a photo or two.

All the best

Pete and Susan

PS I had to hunt this post out to read your response - I have not been on the internet much recently - what a busy site this is.

[bethesdabakers]

Hi Pete,

I've got to be careful what I say 'cause I've been promised a pint of Guiness (well I assume it's a pint). But I reckon Dougal to be an absorbic acid salesperson the way he's so blasé about its use in baking.

Glad to hear you're both well.

Mick