Thank you Mama I will use your advise! Gosh fresh baked bread in the AM would be just too much, I'd think I've woke and up in heaven!!!
Cathy
Cathy
As an alternative to the plastic bag, cover the dough with cling film that has been sprayed with kitchen oil. Works like a charm, with nary any sticking.
Again, thanks to Peter Reinhart for that tip.
Again, thanks to Peter Reinhart for that tip.
Plastic wrap would never work for my dough - it grows much too big for that. I use plastic bags that I purchase from a local bakery just for that purpose. Plastic wrap to me would be a disaster.
Never chance ruining a beautiful dough!
I used to use large bowls - but there is not always room. I have one shelf in the fridge that works perfectly for that; wouldn't fit a bowl, but it gives a good rise for my dough. And if making a big batch - not enough room for a lot of large bowls. And covering the bowl with plastic wrap would suffocate the dough - not enough room to rise right. I stick to my bags.
Never chance ruining a beautiful dough!
I used to use large bowls - but there is not always room. I have one shelf in the fridge that works perfectly for that; wouldn't fit a bowl, but it gives a good rise for my dough. And if making a big batch - not enough room for a lot of large bowls. And covering the bowl with plastic wrap would suffocate the dough - not enough room to rise right. I stick to my bags.
I understand all your points, Mama. The one problem, however, is that most people do not have access to food-grade plastic bags that are large enough.
When using cling film it is loosely wrapped over the dough, precisely so there's room for the dough to rise. If you press down the edges, as you would when sealing food in a bowl, then the problem you identify prevails.
The real advantage of using plastic bags, when they're available, is that it guarantees the dough will not pick up stray odors and flavors from other things in the fridge.
One of these days I'm going to have a fridge dedicated just to baking. And a wood-fired hearth oven. And a.......
At any rate, the beauty of letting the dough rise in the fridge is that it's a slow process. Several things happen to bread dough when it goes through that delayed fermentation process. First off, the gluten strands really have a chance to develop. Second, and perhaps more important, there is enough time for enzymes to do their thing, converting starches to sugar. This makes for a deeply mellow tasting crumb, and a beautiful crust. Crust is a function of surface sugars caramelizing, of course, and the more sugar available for this the better.
When using cling film it is loosely wrapped over the dough, precisely so there's room for the dough to rise. If you press down the edges, as you would when sealing food in a bowl, then the problem you identify prevails.
The real advantage of using plastic bags, when they're available, is that it guarantees the dough will not pick up stray odors and flavors from other things in the fridge.
One of these days I'm going to have a fridge dedicated just to baking. And a wood-fired hearth oven. And a.......
At any rate, the beauty of letting the dough rise in the fridge is that it's a slow process. Several things happen to bread dough when it goes through that delayed fermentation process. First off, the gluten strands really have a chance to develop. Second, and perhaps more important, there is enough time for enzymes to do their thing, converting starches to sugar. This makes for a deeply mellow tasting crumb, and a beautiful crust. Crust is a function of surface sugars caramelizing, of course, and the more sugar available for this the better.