You Should Be Proofing Sourdough In The Fridge - Here's Why - crave the good (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to proof sourdough in the fridge? ›

Proofing sourdough in the fridge is effective because it allows the dough to rest in its shaping container while developing superior sourdough flavor. Unlike bulk fermentation (which must be done at room temperature), proofing can be done in cold fridge temperatures.

Seal with the Tupperware with the lid or cling wrap the bowl and leave in the refrigerator for a minimum of 10 hours, and up to 24 hours. You don't need to bring your bread back to room temperature when you bake.

The result will be a heavy and dense loaf that doesn't rise in the oven. It has no energy left. If that happens, there is a tip for still baking it below – all may not be lost! This is one reason we recommend and use the Refrigerator Method.

Yes, you can bake with sourdough starter straight from the fridge.

Letting your sourdough prove in the fridge is a way of slowing down the rise, so that you can bake it when you are ready. Sourdough bread can be time consuming to make, and it can be difficult to fit it all in in just one day.

If you desire an extra-sour sourdough loaf, cover it and refrigerate immediately. The dough will rise slowly overnight or up to 24 hours. Allowing the dough to remain longer in the refrigerator isn't beneficial, as an extended time in the refrigerator will lead to off flavors and diminished dough strength.

You most definitely can bulk ferment sourdough too long. If you leave the dough to ferment for too long, it will become "over fermented". Over fermented dough will lose its structure and become a soupy, sloppy mess that you will not be able to shape.

To proof them, let them sit, covered, at room temperature for up to 3–4 hours, or let them proof for a little while at room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for 12–15 hours. Or you can speed the process by using a proof box, warm cooler, or slightly warm oven to speed things up.

Yes, you can skip the cold ferment. You cannot skip the bulk ferment. If you bulk ferment your dough and then shape it - you do not have to put it in the fridge. You could let it rest while you preheat the oven, score it and then bake it.

Storing your sourdough starter in the fridge will require feeding around once a week. It can, however, be stored up to two months in the fridge without being fed. Reviving a sourdough starter that has been stored in the fridge for a longer period of time is a good idea.

How long can sourdough dough ferment in fridge? ›

The longer you leave your dough in the refrigerator, the more sour and complex flavors it will develop. You can easily leave a loaf in the refrigerator for 3 days before baking. I've gone as long as 5 days, but you will see some deterioration of the loaf after Day 3.

Not proofing your sourdough for long enough is more forgiving than over fermenting it. It won't have developed all its flavor, and all its gluten strands, so the bread may have a bit of an uneven crumb after it's baked. (Usually very large holes at the top of the loaf, and much smaller ones at the bottom).

Do you stir sourdough starter before using? It really doesn't matter whether you stir your sourdough starter before you use it. Because ingredients are measured in grams, your sourdough starter will weigh the same whether it's been stirred or not.

Your house smells amazing and you're so proud of what your homemade sourdough starter has given you! However, don't cut into it too fast! The loaf needs to cool outside of the Dutch oven for at least 30 minutes, and ideally more like two hours. When you pull the bread out of the oven, it is still baking inside.

If you aren't intending to use your sourdough starter every day, it is best kept in the fridge. To do this, feed it as instructed above, seal the jar and then stand at room temperature for 2-3 hours (to help reinvigorate the yeast) before placing in the fridge to store.

You can over fold sourdough. Whatever folding technique you choose should gently build up the gluten network. What is this? Once the gluten network has formed, over handling the dough can cause this network to break down.

In every sourdough bread recipe, you'll find at least one set of stretch and foldsduring bulk fermentation. They are called sets because you typically perform four stretches and four folds during this process, one in each direction of the dough – so, North, South, East, and West.

A 24-hour rise time will produce much more sour bread than a 4-hour rise time. If using a shorter rise period, 4-12 hours, a second rise is optional. If desired, punch dough down, reshape, and proof a second time.

Overkneaded dough will be tough and make tough, chewy bread. If you've kneaded by hand, you don't need to be too worried about overworked dough—you'll start to notice it getting difficult to manage. It takes a lot of elbow grease to knead bread dough; you'll likely tire yourself out before you can over-knead.

The colder the environment, the more slowly your starter will grow. If the normal temperature in your home is below 68°F, find a smaller, warmer spot to develop your starter. For instance, try setting the starter on top of your water heater, refrigerator, or another appliance that might generate ambient heat.

What is the oldest sourdough starter? ›

The answer appears to be Egyptian sourdough. Scientists have revived yeast microbes from 4,500 years ago to make a loaf of bread unlike anything on the grocery store shelves today, as part of an experiment to better understand the gut bacteria of ancient humans.

It will need a lid or cover, but not something airtight: Sourdough starter emits gas, and a sealed canister can explode. If you have intermittent baking plans, you may want something that can be lidded more tightly and stashed in the refrigerator.

If you don't feed it often enough, the sourdough starter starts to smell like alcohol. You may also find that the starter loses its vibrancy and doesn't get too bubbly and active after a feeding. Don't worry, you can always get the starter to recover.

Poke the dough lightly with your finger and take note of how the surface of the dough bounces back. If the indent comes back quickly and disappears, the loaf is not proofed enough and needs an additional half-hour (or more) proofing time. If the indent doesn't bounce back, your loaf is over-proofed.

Good quality parchment paper is incredibly effective when it comes to baking sourdough bread. It allows you to transfer your proofed dough from the bench and into a hot Dutch Oven. Typically you would tip your sourdough out of your banneton and onto the parchment paper and then use that to transfer the dough.

Can I proof sourdough in a plastic container? Yes you can. I would advise lining it with a thin cotton cloth. You could use a plastic container much like you would a plastic bowl.

To proof them, let them sit, covered, at room temperature for up to 3–4 hours, or let them proof for a little while at room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for 12–15 hours. Or you can speed the process by using a proof box, warm cooler, or slightly warm oven to speed things up.

Can you bulk ferment sourdough in the fridge? No - bulk fermentation should ideally be undertaken at room temperature. The yeast and bacteria in your sourdough starter perform best in warmer temperatures so placing them in the fridge will put them into a sleepy state.

Overproofed doughs collapse due to a weakened gluten structure and excessive gas production, while underproofed doughs do not yet have quite enough carbon dioxide production to expand the dough significantly.

Can I put my sourdough in the fridge to rise? ›

If you desire an extra-sour sourdough loaf, cover it and refrigerate immediately. The dough will rise slowly overnight or up to 24 hours. Allowing the dough to remain longer in the refrigerator isn't beneficial, as an extended time in the refrigerator will lead to off flavors and diminished dough strength.