Why refrigerate bagels after shaping dough?
I've noticed that recipes for bagels call for a refrigeration period after shaping. Why does it matter if the refrigeration is done after shaping?
The shaped dough takes up more space in the fridge so it's not ideal.
At least with respect to pizza dough one source says that:
Doughs that are shaped and proofed after a slow, cold fermentation demonstrate noticeably better flavor and better structure.
So why shouldn't we refrigerate the bulk dough and shape afterwards?
Best Answer
It doesn't matter as far as rise or flavor is concerned. You can cold rise the dough, or the shaped bagels, or both.
However, the advantage of cold-rising the shaped bagels is that the cold dough is easier to peel off and dunk in the boiling water than room-temp dough is. Bagel dough tends to be sticky and soft, and it's challenging to avoid stretching the bagels while dunking.
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Quick Answer about "Why refrigerate bagels after shaping dough?"
Once the bagels are shaped we give them a quick 15 minutes at room temperature to rise just a bit, then they go into the refrigerator overnight. You can skip the 15 minutes at room temp if you want your bagels even a little more dense. What is this? The cool, slow rise enhances the flavor and texture of the dough.Why do you refrigerate bagel dough?
Reinhart says it's impossible to get authentic bagel flavor without refrigerating the dough overnight. This allows the bagels to slowly ferment, which gives the natural enzymes in the dough time to release flavors. The bagels also can be kept at this stage for two days.Should I refrigerate dough while it rises?
Yes, risen dough CAN be placed in a refrigerator. Putting risen dough in the fridge is a common practice of home and professional bakers alike. Since yeast is more active when it's warm, putting yeasted dough in a refrigerator or chilling it slows the yeast's activity, which causes dough to rise at a slower rate.Can I refrigerate dough before shaping?
You can start shaping the dough straight out of the fridge. The warmth of your hands and motion of shaping will heat up the smaller pieces of dough fairly quickly, so there's no need to perform folds or wait for the dough to come to room temperature on its own.Can you leave bagel dough out overnight?
You have the choice to give the dough an overnight rise in the fridge and shape and bake them the following day or make and bake them on the same day. An overnight slow rise (or even longer) gives the best texture and flavor, as well as gives some flexibility to when you want to bake them.Why I don't cover up my sourdough bread in the fridge
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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