Switched to cold fermentation after 10 years of rushing bread

Always thought I needed to bake same day. Dough went straight from mixing to oven. Then a baker in Seattle told me his 48 hour fridge rise changed his scoring. Tried it with a basic 70% hydration loaf. Crumb opened up way more and the crust got that deep color I could never get before. Anyone else hold out on cold ferment way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair_gibson7822d ago

Same here. Used to think fridge was just for storage. Game changer.

jordan30529d ago

Oh man, I was exactly the same way for years. Finally tried a 36 hour cold ferment on a whim and it was like night and day, the crust got that nice crackle I could never get before. Definitely worth the wait now.

jessew8329d agoMost Upvoted

Haha jordan305, that's awesome but now I'm worried you've doomed me to a life of pre-planning my pizza. I finally got the hang of same-day dough, thought I was a genius, and now you're telling me I gotta wait a day and a half? That's like telling someone they've been brushing their teeth wrong their whole life, now they gotta do some 3 step ritual with charcoal and a special tongue scraper. I bet the crackle is worth it though, I hate when the crust shatters like glass instead of snapping. Guess I'll be clearing out fridge space for a test batch Saturday morning.