If I slow down the fermentation process either by a lower room temperature or less % starter in dough , Then Do I have to retard the steps also ? Since the BF would take more time to develop Do I have to space my S&F longer than the every 30 minutes recommended ? Let’s say the BF takes 6 hours at 21*C instead of 3h at 26*C should I retard all the steps ? The bench rest should it be 45 min. Instead of 20 min ? Or if I used less levain the dough it would obviously develop more slowly Someone has an idea how to adjust the steps ? Thanks
the easiest way to look at it is like so (even though im not giving you a definitive answer). The S + F help strengthen the dough during bulk. Some people like doing lots of strengthening during bulk, others during mixing others not at all. like kneading S+F accelerates gluten development.
It also depends on your hydration and what kind of dough you have i.e. a very wet dough requires more S+F to tighten up gluten and build shape. some people front load s + f at beginning of bulk others throughout.
then bench rest. again it depends on hydration and dough. if your dough is very wet you might quickly shape and proof. again its a tightening action and gluten generally takes 10 - 15 minutes to relax so after your preshape the dough needs to rest before shaping to prevent tearing. The tighter your dough the less open the crumb MIGHT be. I realise this might not be very helpful but each step has a reason for being there. once you know why then you can make informed decision with every dough - so temperature, hydration, dough type, type of bread you want, etc are all part of it. dont worry about 'adjusting' feel the dough and youll get an understanding. decide before you start out what youre looking for and head that way.
when youre making big batches you need to divide dough and thats where your bench rest comes in. its a result of time lag between first weighed dough and last. ive also learnt that learning the whys of bread making help you develop all skills needed to make bread your own way....
happy baking
Mutantspace wrote a great comment. Phrased another way (in the interests of perspective), you need to develop experience with dough. That comes from practice. Your experience will also differ from one type of flour to another, one recipe to another, and one set of ambient conditions (temperature, humidity, and whether stable or changing) to another.
Baking begins with a recipe of ingredients and a set of steps. The ingredients have some flexibility, and the steps often have even more. (These are not the things that newbies want to hear -- I certainly didn't -- but do not treat everything as cast in stone or as a guarantee of great results.) Pick a bread that you enjoy making and eating. Bake it regularly until you get the feel of the process and have watched the dough transform. You will make some mistakes, but you will learn too, and ultimately you will acquire a way to answer some of the questions you posed. You will sense when another set of S&F will accomplish something and when it is best to let the dough sit a bit more. You will have a better idea of whether the bulk fermentation is nearing the end. And so forth.
Watch the dough, not the clock. That applies specifically to the dough, but it also serves as a larger metaphor for baking in general. On the one hand, I measure ingredients to the gram, but I also have developed an ability to deviate from what I expected to happen if the conditions warrant. Keep baking and paying attention. Each bake is an opportunity to learn.
I would definitely extend the time between S&Fs in the scenarios you mentioned.
I've found that I get best results when I allow the dough to get poofy before doing an S&F, so I don't need to watch the clock, I just watch the dough. I find this often takes an hour, but I've sometimes waited twice that long.
Thank you so much . Your 3 comments are so helpful.
My dough is highly hydrated ,then if I got you right I should not allow too much bench rest ? And why is that ?