November 23, 2022 - 10:40pm
Sourdough retard
My question may have already been ask and answered but I haven't seen it.
Many of the sourdough recipes say to mix the dough, let it ferment a few hours and then refrigerate over night. My question is, could this process be reversed? That is, mix the dough, refrigerate 8 to 12 hours then take it out to ferment at room temperature. And effect would like have on the resulting bread?
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There are no hard and fast rules for bulk ferment. That said:
The 'standard' approach you described allows a certain amount of fermentation and bacteria development to happen before it slows way down going into the fridge.
Your alternative approach will slow all fermentation and bacteria development from the beginning, which may mean that it takes longer for fermentation to complete later on. You will probably get a slightly different balance of yeast & bacteria as a result. I always found my sourdough starters to be more inconsistent when it comes how they ferment in cold temps, so I preferred giving them a strong start at warmer temps before refrigerating.
Will it change the results of your loaf? Absolutely; most changes to baking timings and schedules have an outcome on final product, including flavor and texture. It would be worth trying your same recipe in both ways, and seeing how much difference it makes, and which one you prefer.
Personally I find the long, cold bulk ferment (e.g., overnight in fridge) to make the biggest difference compared to shorter, room temp ferments. For example, when I make pizza dough, I usually mix the dough and go right into the fridge, at least 8 hours or longer. I like the flavor of the end-product better than room-temp fermented pizza.
Thanks I'll try baking a couple of loaves for comparison.
In theory it should work the same either way if you know to read and control the dough. I believe each dough would have an optimal fermentation time vs. degradation time and if they were out of sync the result would not be ideal. In another word I wouldn't want my dough to degrade before it reaches an optimal fermentation point. I don't think there is a right or wrong way of doing it, it is just a matter of your preference.
Correct me if I'm wrong:
Protein degradation is caused by the acid.
Acid production is almost nil at refrigeration temperatures.
Can I assume refrigerated dough will last, undamaged, for days if not weeks.
For me the degradation clock starts ticking the moment water hit the flour. I don't know anything about cold retarding a dough for weeks but I have routinely refrigerated my pizza dough balls for one to two weeks without ill effects but the longer they go the less they rise. It is all about what you are going after so like I said there is really no right or wrong way of doing it assuming you know what you are after. Have fun!!!