"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > >
> > > "Lynn" > wrote in message
> > > om...
> > > > I am a novice bread maker - a few loaves under my belt (literally
and
> > > > figuratively) but learning as I go. I'm wondering if my basic yeast
> > > > bread making method (make dough, rest 15 minutes, knead, let rise in
a
> > > > warm place, punch down, form loaves, let rise for short time, bake)
> > > > can be spread out over two days (or more)? Could I at some point in
> > > > the process put it in the frig for a day and continue on? Any advice
> > > > on this point would be appreciated. The evening hours are so short
but
> > > > I'd like to be able to make bread other than Sunday afternoons.
> > > > Thanks,
> > > > Lynn
> > >
> > > Not only is it possible to slow the process, but it is preferable. I
> > often
> > > make dough and let it rise in the refrigerator. The flavor and
texture
> is
> > > improved. At the point that the dough is ready for the first rise, I
> > simply
> > > put it in the refrigerator. Make sure you give it enough room to
> > expand --
> > > I often just put the dough into a plastic bag. When you are ready to
> > > continue, remove it from the refrigerator, form you loaf, and let it
> rise
> > > again. You will have to add an extra 30 minutes or so to the second
> rise
> > > because the dough is cold. Bake as usual.
> > >
> > Or do it the other way around. Do the first rise at room temperature,
> shape
> > loaves, let them just begin to move and then refrigerate over night.
> > Bringing them totally to room temperature the next day is not necessary
> > before baking.
> > Janet
>
> I'll give that a try. I am somewhat afraid that the final product would
> over-rises in the refrigerator.
>
It is pretty scary sometimes, when you look in the fridge and the dough is
still rising like crazy. It is still working off of internal heat and heat
that it generates. But as another poster said, it slows or stops after a
couple of hours. The advantage for me is that I can start the bread when I
get home from work; it does the bowl rising at its leisure during supper and
until I am almost ready for bed. I then shape up the dough and put on/in
pans or baskets, let it just begin to move a bit and then put it in plastic
bags and in the refrigerator. First thing when I get up in the morning, I
turn on the oven to preheat for about an hour, take the bread out of the
refrigerator and put the bread in the oven when the loaves feel right(light,
but not jiggly). The temperature of the dough at this point will probably
still be quite cool--doesn't matter. Actually, if you are going to slash
the loaves, a cool loaf slashes more easily. I can get the bread baked
before I go to work in the morning. This works out very well during the
summer when you don't want heat in the kitchen later in the day.
Janet