Why is my dough so soggy and loose?

I am making another (Lahey) No Knead bread as usual.

This time I could not follow through the steps after the fermentation period so I put it in the fridge. In the fridge for 57 hours, then I placed it on the counter to warm up overnight (on counter for 14 hours). When I dumped the dough out to fold it into 3rds it was very soggy and wet??

Why did it get so soggy?

Thanks!

If the dough is very overfermented and the gluten is actually breaking down, water is released when those bonds deteriorate. 2 1/2 days in the refrig and 14 hours at room temp is way too long to ferment.It was spent.

Wow I didn't know that could happen :(

I calculated the hours ;

21 hours on counter for initial ferment

57 hours in fridge

14 hours back on counter

What is the solution if needed to prolong my bread baking one day?

Also what can you do with the dough once it reaches this point?

Thanks.

I'm not even sure pancake batter would work. Add egg,milk,more flour,baking soda,salt and some sugar to some of the spent dough. Make pancakes. Try one and see what the flavor is like.It might be edible or it might not be-depends on how many off flavors have been produced.

Is this a recipe or did the times just happen that way?

The fridge time is not that much of a problem as the prolonged time fermenting on the counter before and after. Google online and Search here for "Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day". Reading the book may be useful.

Yeast is a living thing. It eats and reproduces and when the food is gone it dies.

The recipe is Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread, but on this particular one I had an interruption and could not bake at the proper time so I refrigerated it.

it high time for a much different different no knead recipe that takes about 1/25th of the time. Throw the old recipe away along with the spent dough. Tear up the recipe before throwing it away - you don't want anyone, even a dumpster diver, ever using it again by mistake :-)

Actually, Jim Lahey of the Sullivan Street Bakery in NYC revolutionized home bread baking with his famous no-knead bread. His technique produces a beautiful and tasty bread - so long as you follow the directions which call for a 12-hour ferment, not the 92 hours the OP used. Not a thing wrong with the formula.

You are absolutely correct!

Jim Lahey's Bread is the best me and my family has ever eaten. We are still amazed at the results we get from this delicious bread.

Many people have enjoyed Mr.Lahey's recipes. Not much you can do if there is an unavaoidable,room temp delay, such as you experienced. I wonder if freezing it in the middle of the bulk ferment would have been do-able to produce a loaf later.