The recipe I'm doing involves a cornmeal scald and a long bulk fermentation. I'm thinking of doing the scald with milk. Do you think a long overnight bulk ferment with milk is okay to do?
Some people speculate that older recipes called for scalding milk to kill bacteria in the milk, however pasteurization of milk was very widespread by the turn of the 1900s, so scalding was not generally used for this purpose (unless you were starting with raw milk). Milk actually needs to be scalded for baking because it contains glutathione, a tripeptide that softens dough, and scalding the milk destroys it. This means that bread doughs made with the scaled milk will have a firmer, springier texture and they will rise up better as they bake in the oven, leading to a better looking loaf of bread with a softer, airier crumb.
or in the fridge?
If on the counter, I think I would use something that is cultured such as yogurt, kefir, cultured buttermilk or sour cream.
If in the fridge, go for the milk.
Good idea Danni. I could do the stretch and folds and after an hour or two refrigerate and then final proof at room temperature. Thanks!
As it so happens this recipe is now on hold till next week but this it what I plan to do.
I'm more used to lean dough than enriched. Thanks for the info and the link. A!ways more to learn.