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Turns out my grandma was right about cold proofing dough

She always told me to stick my bread dough in the fridge overnight. I ignored her for like 6 months. Finally tried it last week with a basic white loaf. The crust came out way crispier and the flavor was way deeper. Has anyone else tried cold proofing and found it made a huge difference?
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sarah_nelson
Did your grandma also say something about "good things come to those who wait"? Because I used to think cold proofing was just extra work for no payoff. I was wrong. I tried it with a sourdough I was messing around with and the difference was night and day. The crumb was way more open and the crust had that crackly sound when you cut into it. Now I throw my dough in the fridge every time I want that deeper flavor. It honestly makes me feel dumb for not listening sooner.
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anthony_jackson
@sarah_nelson, one small thing though, cold proofing isn't really about "waiting" in the sense of just leaving it alone longer. The magic is actually that the slower fermentation gives the yeast and bacteria more time to develop flavor compounds, plus it tightens up the gluten structure. It's less about patience and more about giving the science a chance to work, right?
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