I'm just wondering if there is an optimum temperature profile from mixing to going in the oven given the time from mixing to oven. My strategy is to do mixing/bulk fermentation at 25C, then keeping it down to about 20C till shaping plus an hour, then setting it to around 16C for the final rise, over a (total) 24 hr period. Is there any other documentation on this: my guess is that you need say x degree hours (where degree hour is calculated as degrees over say 8C times hours) for a good loaf.
It's a little difficult to exactly calculate fermentation times since so many factors influence it and every bread is individual. Not only the flour, water, temperature and amount of yeast, but also how is the dough handled and mixed, the type, maturity and activity of your starter etc.
There are some guidelines, for example for every 8°C difference the fermentation time can be roughly doubled or halved (depending if it's warmer or colder), desired dough temperatures and preferable proofing temperatures (I believe ~27°C for bulk, ~20-23° for final, ~5°C cold)...
But in the time you would need to calculate this all, you could simply test your bread. Read the dough when it's ready and keep track over time, ambient temperature, sets of folds etc. Then adjust if needed and narrow it down to the perfect procedure. When changing something, track how it affects the dough, fermentation speed etc.
That way I know my bread needs 1 h autolyse, then 12 min. of mixing at speed 2, then 2,5 h of BF with 5-6 folds (3 x 15 min., 2-3 x 30 min.), rest for 20 min., shape, then 1 h 45 min. final proof, bake at 230°C for 40 min. (20 with lid on). I can kinda bake this bread on autopilot...and this took only about 3 loaves to figure out (and a bunch of videos). **
I just wanna show that it's fairly easy and safer to test and adjust instead of getting lost in maths, since everyone's signature loaf is different :)
Thanks for that. I am taking notes but it's great to get new hints. The problem is often knowing the dough; I know the procedures for underproofed, just right, and overproofed but it's annoyingly imprecise.