Tried cold fermentation vs same-day dough for a week straight. Cold ferment wins hands down.

I bake bread every Saturday for my neighbors. Last month I did a test. Made two batches of the same recipe. One sat in the fridge for 24 hours, the other went straight from mixing to the oven after a 2 hour rise. The cold ferment had way better crust and the crumb was more open. Same flour, same yeast, same technique. My neighbor actually asked if I changed my supplier. Anyone else find that waiting is the real secret?

2 comments

2 Comments

paige87019d ago

The cold ferment is definitely the way to go... I've been doing this for a couple years now and it's night and day. For my sourdough, I'll let it sit in the fridge for a full 48 hours sometimes and the crust gets this deep brown color I can't get any other way. I've even tried cutting the yeast back on the same-day batches to mimic the slow rise but it just doesn't give the same complexity. The neighbors probably think I'm some kind of wizard but really I'm just letting the fridge do the work...

tylerw7219d ago

Bought a cheap proofing box off Amazon last winter just to see what the hype was about and now I can't go back. Had a batch of ciabatta that sat in the garage in 40 degree weather for three days cause I forgot about it and it turned out the best loaf I've ever made. The fridge is just a tool but man does it do the heavy lifting if you give it enough time.