If you’ve watched any one of my videos, you’d now that I’m all about temperature control. It is one of the most important parts of the bread making process and I have published several videos about temperature control and the effect of temperature on fermentation. But all of the previous videos and writeups concern bread dough that is fermented at room temperature. What about cold fermentation? Does the final dough temperature really matter if the dough is going to be stone cold anyway?
The ideal temperature for your dough will be determined by the temperature of your fridge, the composition of the dough, and even the mass of the dough. If your fridge is very cold, then the dough should be slightly warmer and vice versa. If the dough contains ingredients that may speed up fermentation, then it should not be made too warm in order for it to not get out of control as it ferments for a long time. And the larger the dough the more actively it will ferment. Making it cooler to begin with will prevent it from over fermenting. Of course, all of the above can also be solved by adjusting the amount of yeast.
My fridge usually hovers around 5C (41F). And I usually aim for a final dough temperature of between 23C (73F) to 25C (77F), which is the same temperature range I would use for room temperature fermentation. At this temperature range the doughs that I usually make will ferment sufficiently in 12 – 24 hours.
The process is almost always the same: mix the dough, place it in the fridge for 30 – 60 minutes, take it out to give it a fold, and then let it cold ferment until the next day. Folding the dough ensures that it cools down evenly. As the dough sits in the fridge the outside of it will naturally cool down sooner. Folding the dough mixes the cooler outer part with the warmer inside distributing the temperature evenly throughout it which makes it ferment more evenly.
Why would we make a warm dough and then actively try to cool it down quickly once it has been placed in the fridge, I hear you ask. Yeast will not be very active below 20C (68F), so if the dough is already at that temperature, then it may take longer to start fermenting (the same goes for room temperature fermentation). And then if it cools down even more it may not ferment at all.
Yeast is most active between 27C (80F) to 37C (98F). At these high temperatures it will produce a lot of carbon dioxide very quicky which will make the dough puff up and rise as much as the gluten structure would allow it to. But there is a downside to quick fermentation and that is a lack of flavour development. That is why we usually go for a lower temperature in order to get a good balance between the rise and the flavour.
Everything happens more slowly during cold fermentation. It produces superior flavour over many hours. It is also a convenient way of making bread because we do not need to look after the dough. Letting the dough sit for so long also helps the flour absorb all the water which makes the dough easier to handle. The ease of handling can allow us to increase the hydration. That is why I believe it is the superior bread making technique.
As you can see in the video, the dough which was too cool did not even ferment properly in a whole weeks’ time. The one which was slightly too warm tried to climb out of the bowl a couple of times. It is definitely better to make it too warm rather than too cold all things being equal. But getting it just right will always produce the best result.
What if your dough has turned out too cool or too warm? This could pose a big issue when fermenting dough at room temperature and it could throw off the timings by quite a lot. Luckily when cold fermenting time is on our side. If your dough is too cool do not refrigerate it right after mixing. Simply let it sit at room temperature for 30 – 60 minutes before giving it a fold and then place it in the fridge. While the dough sits at room temperature it will start fermenting and by the time you refrigerate it the process will be in a good motion to continue.
If your dough tuned out too warm place it in the fridge right away. Do not wait 60 or even 30 minutes to give it a fold. Put it in the coolest corner of the fridge and start folding it after just 10 – 15 minutes. And instead of just folding it once, repeat the step at the same interval two or even three times. This should cool it down relatively quickly and prevent it from over fermenting. If it’s really warm you can even utilize your freezer in the same way. Once the dough has cooled down you can move it to the fridge.
Temperature control is nothing to get stressed about. Once you get used to it you won’t even think about it that much. During spring, summer, and even autumn I can easily use water that has been left out at room temperature and my dough will pretty much always end up in the right temperature range. No calculations needed. And even when it turns out cooler or warmer I can use the techniques described above to fix it.
Staying consistent with all the parts of the bread making process allows you to get predictable results. Paying a little attention and sticking to certain parameters will ensure that your breads turn out as expected every time.
To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.
To learn more about dough temperature control click here.
To learn more about cold bulk fermentation click here.
