Unpopular opinion: letting dough rest longer changed my bread game

I used to rush through my sourdough, shaping and baking within 4 hours. Last week I tried an overnight cold proof in the fridge for 12 hours instead. The crust came out way crispier and the crumb had those big holes I see in bakery loaves. Has anyone else found that extra rest time makes or breaks their results?

3 comments

3 Comments

flores.emma1d ago

Overproofing just makes the gluten relax too much and your loaf flattens out like a pancake.

miles_robinson201d ago

Is it really that big of a deal if it's just bread, @flores.emma?

fiona_carr261d ago

Oh hey, just gotta say - overproofing is definitely a thing but that doesn't mean all long rests are overproofing. Cold proofing actually tightens the gluten, doesn't relax it. So night and day difference from a warm bulk ferment.

-1