Hi Bread Lover, I assume you're looking to refrigerate the shaped loaf? Try to gauge the dough's progress at the time of shaping: did it rise and fall overnight in the bucket, or did you catch it when it was still risen to its highest point? Is it feeling very delicate, or is it fairly resilient? Judging how far the dough has progressed in terms of fermentation can help you determine how long it's likely to hold up in the refrigerator. It's hard to give you a rule of thumb when it comes to this, since recipes vary so much in terms of how much yeast or starter is included, and environmental temperatures also have a big impact on the rate of fermentation, but as long as the dough doesn't seem over-fermented after the overnight rise at room temperature, and you're able to shape it well, it should be fine for at least 8 hours in the fridge. Other variables to look out for are how hydrated the dough is, and the type of flours included in the recipe. Very wet doughs and doughs that include a lot of wholegrains tend to ferment faster than stiffer, white flour doughs. If the dough happens to be quite warm going into the refrigerator, this will also makes them happen faster. 

• Reply