Is it safe to keep reusing a portion of old dough?
My grandma told my mum a weird process of making flatbread dough recently that she started to use. But I am not sure about it's safety at all.
- Initially, normal wholewheat bread dough made with Instant Yeast. Used to make bread but a small piece is kept (~70-100gm) in refrigerator.
- Next day, when making new dough, that 70-100gm portion of old dough is mixed in and it's allowed to rise for 2-3 hours.
- A 70-100gm portion of this mixture is kept again in refrigerator and mixed in next day.
- Repeat same everyday.
The result is definitely great for the flatbread naan but I am not sure about safety of this.
Question: Wouldn't a small part of it be too old after 2 weeks or so? I am sure some of of the old dough remains, however diluted. Mom claims she'd start process totally fresh after a month but I believe that's too long.
Edit: I heard it's similar to Pâte Fermentée but I'm still not sure if about a whole cycle.
Best Answer
This is how bread was made in my area just two generations before, not only flatbreads but every kind of dough. And the process wouldn't be started from scratch with new instant yeast, because it didn't exist yet.
I understand why you would say that a diluted piece of the old dough would remain after a month, but mind that fermentation is a metabolic process that converts molecules, and although actual atoms could be there, they were processed and rebuilt each time the dough ferments.
Compare that with any plant you eat; a part of this plant was a previous plant that was used as a fertilizer, maybe even passed through the animal metabolism. It's a cycle.
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Is it OK to use old dough?
Traditionally, bakers add a piece of old dough to their next batch of dough to add depth of flavor. But you can also use old dough as a substitute for sourdough starter. Feed the old dough with water and flour, just as you would a starter. Then use it in a recipe.Can you reuse bread dough?
Old dough is as good as yeast. You use it as the raising agent in a new batch of bread. The bread will have a slightly different taste, in fact if you leave it until you get a strong alcohol smell from it, you are basically making a batch of sour dough bread.How can you reuse dough?
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.No More Waste of Pizza Dough in Your Life!
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