Hi there,

Thanks for this really great post, I'm hoping for some extra help please! I'm trying to make a simple yeasted loaf and can't do the end to end process in one, so I'm bulk fermenting in the fridge - adding flavour and time into the process. My kitchen is pretty cold at the moment, 12-15c/53-59f, and my fridge is 3.4/38.
I've tried putting the dough in the fridge for around 10 hours overnight straight after mixing and kneading but even though I use a proofer the following morning, I'm still getting some tearing on one side of my loaves when they go into the oven. I've also tried leaving the dough on the kitchen counter for 3 rounds of turning/folding at 30 minute intervals (instead of kneading) before putting it into the fridge, but the results tend to be similar.
Might my loaves be tearing, and occasionally blowing out, on one side as a result of under proofing? I'm not sure I've managed to hit the sweet spot yet, although I've pushed the dough to a state where it feels VERY fragile and has risen well above the tin but still had some tearing (albeit to a lesser degree). Not sure if the fridge temperature renders the yeast completely dormant overnight so maybe I need to allow more time for the dough to finish rising the next morning before the preshape/bench rest/final shape? Or might it be better giving the dough time to double in size on the counter before putting in the fridge?
I'd really appreciate your thoughts, thanks.

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