How can I prepare bread dough to be cooked the next day?
I'd like to make some fresh bread for breakfast tomorrow, but don't particularly want to wake up at 5am to mix and prove the dough. How could I make the dough tonight so that I could just throw it in the oven tomorrow?
Best Answer
Make the bread all the way through. You can even let the first rise happen. Drop your yeast to about half. Oil a bowl, drop in the dough, spin once to get the ball of dough covered with the oil and then put plastic wrap over the bowl, or a damp cloth...and plastic wrap. Put the bowl in the refrigerator.
The refrigerator slows down the yeast without killing it, which also increases the flavor of the bread (over night cool low yeast methods for bread are considered the "right" way to make bread).
In the morning, pull out the bread, press out any large bubbles, roll it around and let it come to life again. I usually punch it down one more time and then let it rise in the pan or on a sheet depending on what kind of bread I am making, then bake as normal.
In your case, because you're doing a stuffed loaf, assuming there is a rise before the stuffing, THAT is the point where you will start the morning. Everything before the pre-stuff rise, the refrigerator IS the pre-stuff rise, pull it out, let it warm, punch it down, stuff, put in the pan, let rise, bake.
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Quick Answer about "How can I prepare bread dough to be cooked the next day?"
Go ahead and make it as normal, let it rise a little bit (1/2 hour maybe) and put the covered bowl in the refrigerator. In the morning, pull it out and let it warm up enough to work it. It may take a while depending on how much dough you have.Can I make bread dough the day before I cook it?
Bake one loaf right away and the other after an overnight rise. You'll be amazed at how much more flavor the second loaf develops! If you're refrigerating dough to save time, think carefully about your schedule. If you're in a rush today but have extra time tomorrow, a first-rise refrigeration will fit the bill.Can you make bread dough and cook it later?
The good news is that you absolutely can make bread dough in advance and cook the rolls later on!Can you refrigerate bread dough and bake later?
Yes, you can refrigerate bread dough, and in fact you will probably find that it will give you better, tastier results, because the yeast has more time to do its work. Any bread baker worth his salt (flour?) will tell you that a slow, cold rise is better than a fast, warm one.Can you make bread and bake it the next day?
Remembering to bake it the next day! There's some leeway in the timeline (some doughs can sit in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours) but, in general, you should bake the bread dough 24 hours after you mix it. You will also want to make sure you have enough space available in the refrigerator.Refrigerator Bread Dough: knead Today Bake Tomorrow.
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Answer 2
You will likely find you actually get far better results if you start the dough the night before, because the long, slow rise will build great flavors. Go ahead and make it as normal, let it rise a little bit (1/2 hour maybe) and put the covered bowl in the refrigerator.
In the morning, pull it out and let it warm up enough to work it. It may take a while depending on how much dough you have. It'll go faster if you move it to a warm bowl instead of the one that's cold from the fridge.
Once it's warm enough to work, handle it as usual.
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