Showerthought: I put my sourdough in the fridge for a cold ferment and it came out flat as a pancake.

Left it for almost 48 hours and the yeast just gave up... anyone know the sweet spot for a fridge proof?

3 comments

3 Comments

Yeah, that's a classic overproof. Fridge is too cold for a long stretch like that. I usually go 12 to 18 hours max. Any longer and the yeast runs out of food, structure collapses. Try a shorter time next bake, see if it holds shape better.

walker.grace15d ago

Totally agree on the shorter fridge time. I had the same flat loaf problem last winter. My kitchen was freezing and the dough just stopped moving in the cold. Now I never go past 14 hours in there. If I need to delay the bake, I'll do a few hours on the counter first to get a good start, then finish in the fridge. That way it's not starting from a dead stop in the cold.

the_paul4d agoMost Upvoted

Cold kitchens are a real problem for dough. My place gets drafty and I had the same issue with loaves spreading out flat. Letting it sit out for a couple hours before the fridge made a huge difference for me. It builds enough strength to handle the cold slowdown. Now my schedule is about two hours room temp then into the fridge for no more than twelve. The bread keeps its shape much better that way.