Hi Lu, refrigerating the dough does tend to promote sour flavor development in your bread. However, in order for the fermentation time in the refrigerator to be productive, the dough has to spend enough time at room temperature prior to refrigeration to get the dough actively fermenting. In other words, if you stuck your dough in the refrigerator right after mixing and kneading, the cold would stall fermentation, preventing the dough from doing much of anything while it's in there. I've found what works best is to allow the dough to proof at room temperature in bulk form until it's rising well and looks and feels airy and light. That's a sign that it's ready to be shaped and placed in the refrigerator for the final rise. If your bread looks ready to bake in the morning, there's really no need to let it come to room temperature before baking. The only real concern has to do with the baking pot, and whether in might break from thermal shock if you place cold dough in it and put it directly in the oven. If your pot is up to the challenge, your well-proofed dough will benefit from baking directly from the refrigerator. I hope this helps! Barb

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