The bakers of King Arthur are here to solve the kitchen conundrums you share with us, whether it’s on the phone, computer, or by the good old postal service. In Ask the Baker’s Hotline, Annabelle will pick the brains of the talented King Arthur Baker’s Hotline team to tackle some of your most-asked questions.
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Whether you’re looking to develop flavor, work around a tricky schedule, or realize you were supposed to pick up a friend from the airport halfway through a bread recipe, the ability to let your dough rise in the fridge is a tempting solution, and luckily happens to be quite practical, too. In lieu of a typical 1- to 3-hour rise at room temperature, you'd opt for a long (8- to 12-hour) rise in the refrigerator. This slow refrigerated rise is referred to as "cold fermentation" and has many benefits ranging from flexibility to flavor.
You can incorporate this chilly technique into just about any bread recipe. To guide you toward the best results, I reached out to Clara Krueger, a member of the King Arthur Baker’s Hotline who’s well-versed in bread baking.
When can I refrigerate my dough?
Most bread recipes have two rises, a first rise (also called bulk fermentation), and a second or final rise. You can chill your dough during either the first or second rise. Your yeast won’t give you much love if it’s asked to do both rises in the fridge, so it’s best to do one or the other at room temperature.
If opting for a cold first rise ...
For ease of storage, using the fridge for the first rise is best if you're working with large quantities of dough. Few people have room to store a giant pan of focaccia among their milk, eggs, and leftovers. Instead, it’s easier to chill the dough in a covered container and let the shaped focaccia rise on the counter.
Tips for successful first-rise refrigeration
“Let the dough rise for about 20 to 30 minutes on the counter before sticking it in the fridge,” says Clara. “This lets the yeast get going before we chill everything down.” This time can vary based on your recipe and environment, so use your judgment if your recipe is high in yeast or it’s a warm day — you may not need that 20- to 30-minute wait.
Remember, your dough is going to grow. “Put your dough in a covered container with plenty of room. You want the unrisen dough to fill the container about 1/3 of the way so you don’t end up with a dough volcano in your fridge.” As a victim of a full-on doughy Mt. Vesuvius myself, trust me, you want to remember that one!
Make sure your dough doesn’t lose its moisture. “You want the dough to be covered so it doesn’t dry out on the surface,” says Clara. A hard crust can prevent dough from rising to its full potential. “Dough Rising Buckets are great for single loaves and small batches, but my personal favorite [for double batches] is our 6-Quart Food Storage Container. ” Avoid covering your dough with breathable materials like linen. Instead, use lids or wraps that keep moisture in.
Shaping bread loaves after first-rise refrigeration
After a cold bulk fermentation, allow your dough to regain some warmth on the counter for 40 to 60 minutes and become slightly puffy before shaping it. You can help the process along by stretching and folding the dough. For a visual of the folding process, check out our blog post on bulk fermentation.
Rolls are a little less high-maintenance. 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.
If opting for a cold second rise ...
For ease of handling and scheduling convenience, many bakers purposefully adjust bread recipes to have their second rise in the fridge. Clara shares: “I make a lot of crusty hearth breads and sourdoughs. These benefit from an overnight fermentation (rise) in the refrigerator to score cleanly and make the bread recipe fit around my schedule.”
Tips for successful second-rise refrigeration
Free-form artisan loaves may be chilled without a cover. Simply drape the edges of a floured linen over the top if you’re using one. “The loaf may dry out a bit on the surface, but a touch of dryness just makes it easier to handle. Though if you find that your fridge maintains very low humidity, you may still want to cover the loaf with plastic wrap or a pot lid,” says Clara.
Sandwich loaves can be refrigerated too! “Shape the dough and pop it into a greased loaf pan. Use a cover that won’t touch the dough itself but will keep the surface moist. A shower cap or bowl cover is perfect. In a pinch, you can lay greased plastic wrap over the dough’s surface.”
Be mindful of your dough’s temperature. “If your dough is above 80°F, the fridge may not be able to cool it down before the loaf overproofs,” Clara explains. “If you're planning on refrigerating your shaped dough, aim for a dough temperature between 75°F and 80°F.” Learn more in our blog on Desired Dough Temperature.
Shaping bread loaves after a second-rise refrigeration
The beauty of chilling shaped loaves is that it makes them very easy to handle. Artisan loaves will likely be bakeable right away. Simply turn them out of their floured brotform onto or into your chosen baking vessel, score, and bake.
Whether you’ve made a free-form or a pan loaf, trust your eyes to decide whether it’s ready to bake straight from the fridge or not. Clara says: “If your loaf doesn’t seem to have risen or puffed at all in the refrigerator, it may benefit from an hour on the counter before baking. This is a judgment call, and the more familiar you are with your recipe, the better you will be at reading your dough.”
Refrigerating dough: Is it for you?
Whether you refrigerate your dough during the first or second rise, there’s one thing you can count on: a boost in flavor. Fermentation creates organic acids that aid in strengthening your dough and lend MAJOR flavor. Don’t believe me? Try making two loaves of the same bread recipe. 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. If you have time to spare today but only a small window to bake the next, go with a second-rise refrigeration so your loaf can go straight into the oven.
Got a question you'd like answered? Drop it in the comments below, and I’ll see you next month with more baking insights from the King Arthur Baker’s Hotline!
Cover photo by Mark Weinberg.
November 5, 2022 at 11:29am
In reply to What’s the maximum number of… by Anna (not verified)
Hi Anna, it will depend a little on the recipe and how much yeast is in it, and also how warm the dough is going into the refrigerator, but I would say most cinnamon roll doughs will do fine in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If you notice the dough rising significantly in the refrigerator, it can be helpful to deflate it once or twice with a gentle fold before it chills completely. This will help maintain the flavor and texture of the dough.
November 1, 2022 at 4:55pm
I have a roll recipe which calls for a first rise of 90 minutes and uses warm water in the dough. If I want to do that first rise in the refrigerator, should I use cold water or room temperature water instead? The second rise is only 10 minutes , after shaping. I’m assuming I could proceed normally with that procedure after the refrigeration, yes?
November 3, 2022 at 5:36pm
In reply to I have a roll recipe which… by Meri (not verified)
Your baking instincts are spot on Meri! Yes, by using cold or room temperature water you will slow the rise down a bit more. The cooler the water the slower the rise. The second rise after shaping may be a bit longer since the dough was chilly, but with a bit of patience you will have great rolls with even more flavor. The first time you try the recipe just watch the rolls as the second rise time can vary quite a bit depending on several factors, so it's hard to give an exact number in these kinds of situations.
October 20, 2022 at 3:18pm
I searched this subject with a specific circumstance in mind: on Thanksgiving, I want to make some little pumpkin-shaped rolls, but by the time I get to my daughter’s, they’d be cold. Do rolls do ok with the 2nd-rise refrigeration? I’m figuring I can time it so I take them out of the fridge just before leaving the house, then bake them at my daughter’s. Does that seem reasonable?
October 23, 2022 at 11:41am
In reply to I searched this subject with… by Judy Vallas (not verified)
Hi Judy, this plan sounds a bit risky to me, simply because the shaped rolls may end up rising too much in the refrigerator, and may be over-proofed by the time you're ready to bake them at your daughter's. A safer plan might be to refrigerate the dough (in bulk form) after a somewhat abbreviated first rise (45-60 minutes), and then to bring the dough to your daughter's to shape and bake. Depending on how long your travel time will be, you may want to keep the dough cool in transit, as it generally works well to go straight to dividing and shaping the rolls after refrigeration (your hands will help warm up the dough, and the smaller pieces will also warm up faster). If that doesn't sound convenient, you might want to simply warm up the baked rolls in a baking pan tented lightly with foil when you get to your daughter's house.
October 18, 2022 at 2:11pm
Should i use less yeast if i`m proving the second rise in the fridge?
October 22, 2022 at 11:07am
In reply to Should i use less yeast if i… by Les (not verified)
Hi Les, refrigerating the shaped baked good can be a little tricky, especially with yeasted baked goods. Sourdough's longer, slower fermentation really lends itself to this method, but yeast-raised doughs are more likely to overproof in the refrigerator, especially if the dough is warm going into the refrigerator. While reducing the yeast initially might slow down the bulk rise, I'm not sure how this would impact the final rise, since a certain amount of fermentation and rise will likely need to take place before the dough is ready to shape and refrigerate. You could try working with slightly cooler dough to slow down the final rise, but ultimately I think you'll need to keep an eye on the dough and make sure it doesn't over rise in the refrigerator.
September 22, 2022 at 12:02am
Hi, thank you for the helpful article. But there's few questions that I still haven't found the answer. Do I have to reduce the amount of yeast when the dough is proofed in the refrigerator? And I've been trying to make bagels with some cream cheese filling inside. Can I also chill the bagels dough overnight during second rise after it's been shaped and stuffed with cream cheese ?
September 25, 2022 at 3:00pm
In reply to Hi, thank you for the… by Karina (not verified)
Hi Karina, it's normally not necessary to reduce the amount of yeast called for in a recipe when you plan to refrigerate the dough. As far as your cream cheese filled bagels go, we haven't tried refrigerating that type of dough and I'd be a little concerned that the dough might not hold up well in the refrigerator. If you'd like to experiment, I would try to keep the refrigerator time fairly short. We also recommend freezing the filling in our Stuffed Bagel Buns recipe.
August 2, 2022 at 7:43am
I’m making your Semolina Baguette for a luncheon, and I want it steamy and crispy at noon. Needless to say, this looks like a good solution for making it.
Since the dough has 4 rises, I assume that the last one is the one that should be refrigerated. Is this correct?
Pagination