Why do you need to refrigerate bread dough overnight?
I'm making a no-knead bread (actually my very first time making bread!) and right after mixing the dry ingredients with water, it's supposed to sit for a couple hours to rise and then be placed in the refrigerator for some long period of time. Well wouldn't you know, after mixing the ingredients I accidentally let it sit all night - so it sat at room temperature for some 8-10 hours before I realized it. As soon as I found it in the morning, I put it in the fridge, where it has sat for now about 9 hours.
The dough's consistency seems fine. Is there any reason I shouldn't go ahead and bake it? (after bringing it back down to room temp, as the recipe calls for) Why does it need to be refrigerated after rising at room temperature for a couple hours?
Best Answer
The reason for doing delayed fermentation in the fridge is that the yeast development is slowed down, while still allowing the enzymes that naturally occur in the flour to do their work (converting starches to sugars, making a more flavorful dough).
The risk of doing it on the counter instead of the fridge is that the enzymes are working AND the yeast is working, which can over-leaven the bread, and they'll eat up the sugars you are trying to create with enzymes. Over-leavened bread isn't ideal, but it isn't the end of the world either. There is a lot to learn about bread baking if you want to really excel at it, but "just bake it, it'll be fine" is always present as you experiment - glad the loaf turned out well!
"No-Knead" bread is a great introduction to "rustic" doughs (very high water content), and to cold fermentation. Cold fermentation is about the best thing you can do for your bread as a home baker, whether or not you are using the no-knead recipe - I cold ferment nearly everything I bake.
If you want to learn more about the process and jump off the deep end, Peter Reinhart's book "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" is a great place to start. It is detailed without being pedantic, simple without being over-simplified, and oriented for the home baker without forgetting the reasons that professionals do things the way they do.
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Quick Answer about "Why do you need to refrigerate bread dough overnight?"
It is often done overnight when the dough is placed in the refrigerator, slowing the rise so it can be freshly baked in the morning, dividing up the labor and allowing you to have fresh bread at a chosen time. It is also done to increase the flavor of the bread and to give the crust a darker color when baked.Do you have to refrigerate bread dough overnight?
Although it's a good idea, you don't really need to leave bread dough in the refrigerator. But keeping it in a cool place, such as the refrigerator, will slow down the work of the yeast. This is why recipes will tell you to leave the dough in a warm place to encourage the yeast to work quickly.Why does bread dough need to be refrigerated?
Dough can be put in the refrigerator to slow the rise dramatically and improve the flavor of the bread. The cold temperature slows the activity of the yeast, which leads to a slower production of gas and therefore a slower rise.Can you leave bread dough out overnight to rise?
Bread dough can be left to rise overnight if it's stored in the refrigerator. Storing dough in the refrigerator can slow the rise for 8-48 hours or longer, depending on the dough. Some dough can be left out at room temperature overnight, but this often leads to overfermentation.119: The Overnight Final Proof (Yeasted Bread) - Bake with Jack
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Answer 2
i believe the long refrigeration period slows down the yeast, and does over the long sitting period what the routines of kneading and rest periods at room temperature would do.
Answer 3
I think being in the fridge slows the yeast action down and the gluten continues to develop and that is what makes your bread soft and chewy and not crumbly. During this time the flavor develops a great deal; also, the fridge period just gives the bread a great overall taste. In the book 5 Minute a Day Bread, they say you can mix a big batch and leave it in the fridge for up to 14 days pinching off a ball now and then to bake and eat.
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