Is letting bread dough rest longer actually better or does it ruin the crumb?

I left my sourdough to bulk ferment for 14 hours in the fridge last week and got the most open, airy crumb ever versus my usual 8 hour rise which comes out dense. But my friend says that long rest kills the structure and makes it flat, and she's had better luck with a 6 hour counter rise. What's the real difference between cold long ferments and quick room temp proofs for you guys?

3 comments

3 Comments

clairen8521d ago

I used to be in your friend's camp too but after trying a cold 12 hour ferment I'm fully converted.

emery_black23d ago

14 hours cold ferment is my go to for sourdough and I get better structure than any quick proof I have tried. The gluten actually relaxes more slowly in the fridge which gives you that open crumb without turning into a puddle. Your friend might be using a different hydration or flour type that can't handle the longer ferment without breaking down. I use 80% hydration with strong bread flour and anything under 10 hours gives me a tighter crumb that I don't like as much.

the_richard23d ago

yeah that makes a lot of sense. i had a buddy who tried sourdough for the first time and he did a 14 hour cold ferment with some cheap all purpose flour at like 70% hydration and it came out as a flat, dense brick. he was so mad because he saw all these online bakers doing long ferments and getting those massive holes, but he didn't realize his flour couldn't handle it. he switched to a higher protein bread flour and dropped his hydration a bit to 72% and it came out way better after a 12 hour cold proof. he still complains about it sometimes, like "why did nobody tell me flour matters that much" haha.