Retarding is a technique that slows the fermentation process of your dough. This allows you the flexibility to bake your loaves at a later time. If, for instance if you want freshly baked bread in the morning you can schedule your bread baking around that by letting your shaped loaves prove more slowly in the refrigerator overnight. Then when you are ready to bake them you can simply take them out and let them warm up while your oven preheats.
This is a key technique that I teach when teaching someone how to bake bread. Refrigerating your dough at some point during the first or final rise can make bread baking more of an everyday thing, versus just making bread on weekends or special occasions.
The retarding of your loaves can be done during the initial rise of your dough, or during the final rise after the loaves have been shaped. I use it most during the final shaped rise for my sourdough loaves, but during the bulk rise for enriched doughs.
In addition to slowing down the dough fermentation, retarding your dough is also a great way to add an extra dimension of flavor to your breads.
How retarding bread works?
When you place your bread dough in the refrigerator, your loaves will expand much more slowly due to the cool temperatures. Even though the yeast will slow down in the cooler temperature, bacteria will produce more lactic and acetic acids, which give your breads more flavor. After around twelve to eighteen hours these bacteria will begin to break down the gluten network in the bread, which will affect the bread’s rise. I tend to stick with a twelve hour cold rise.
Tips for retarding dough:
I recommend to only let shaped loaves retard for 12-18 hours, but doughs that are being retarded on their first rise can go longer.
Dough that has been retarded usually has a darker crust that is filled with tiny bubbles (carbon dioxide escaping to the surface during baking.). If you are looking for a darker crust in your bread, retarding the dough will help.
Some doughs need to be retarded to bring out their full flavor, but any white flour dough made with commercial yeast or sourdough can be retarded to deepen the flavor profile, or allow you the convenience to bake at another time.
Some whole-grain and rye breads do not take well to the retarding process because they have a weaker gluten structure and are more sensitive to the acid production.
Hi there
I have a question regarding the retarding process for loaves. Does it also work on enriched dough buns wich are already shaped?
Thanks for your kind attention
Best regards
Yes it does. I retard cinnamon buns overnight to bake in the morning.
What is the best temperature to have the fridge set at?
So, just a quick clarification. When you stated: “I recommend to only let shaped loaves retard for 12-18 hours, but doughs that are being retarded on their first rise can go a couple of days.”
Does this mean that for doughs that you want to retard for a couple days, you would allow to retard in bulk ferment (before shaping) or would/could you retard pre-shaped loaves for a coupld days?
Hi,
I would definitely only retard dough for that length of time in the bulk fermentation stage. I would only retard a shaped loaf overnight and not if it has previously been refrigerated during the bulk fermentation stage. You will end up with a really flat loaf if you wait too long to get it in the oven. Thanks!
I only retard either bulk or final proof overnight only. I don’t care to extend more hours than overnight, but that’s just me. I’ve read where others go longer, but if I can’t do an Artisan sourdough loaf within an evening, overnight and next morning, then I don’t do it. Some freeze pizza dough, I don’t. It doesn’t work the same, IMO.
I have a question about the safety of a commercial dough that has undergone a prolonged retardation during the final proof.
I bought a ball of pizza dough from the grocery store that had just been defrosted. It has been sitting in my fridge for about two weeks, and is now ten days older than the use by date on the label. It is still sealed in the original bag, but has grown to about four times its original size and has no more room left in the bag.
When does fermentation become unsafe (or distasteful) to eat? What effects will this extended process have on the final product, aside from larger bubbles?
Hi,
I wouldn’t recommend using that ball of dough. It will probably be very sour tasting and have an off flavor in general. I wouldn’t use it past a few days once it has been thawed. Thanks!
why not try it? instead of tossing
I make my own dough, either no knead by hand, or with a bread machine. I tried store bought dough once, but it didn’t work for me. It seems all petered out.
hello! thank you for the article. I read a different article and there was a question “How do you bake, with dough retarded or overnight or longer?” what is the difference between “retarded” and “overnight”? just time? “overnight” means the dough is in the fridge during the night and “retarded” can be longer? thank you in advance for your comments on the matter.
HI,
You are correct the only real difference is the time. I tend to make a lot of dough during the day and then store it in the fridge until morning. That way I can bake it off first thing in the morning and have fresh bread for say, lunch. Many dough formulas can be retarded for longer than overnight. I usually am doing 8-12 hours and rarely go past 16. I hope that answers your questions. Thanks!
thank you so much Melissa!!! have a great day!
So what dough formula lends itself to retarding longer than overnight?
Does the % hydration of the dough matter – does the dough need to have less/more hydration to be a good candidate and how would I make an adjustment to the formula?
You said many dough formulas can be retarded more than overnight and I was looking for a good sourdough retard for bread and does it matter if it is for PIZZA dough because I wanted to try replacing the instant yeast with a sourdough starter?
Would using a sourdough starter (in place of instant) be considered a preferment/like poolish starter?
I want to use my sourdough starter for pizza dough – have read if you use 8 ounces sourdough and you have a balanced feeding that you subtract 4oz water and 4oz flour from your total I guess to maintain the same hydration?
Is balanced 2 parts water 3 parts flour?
What is the proper procedure/conversion for using starter instead of instant yeast? – I’ve tried converting recipe to grams for the water and the flour but using fine semolina and 00 flour are a little light on the actual weight I assume with finer semolina and 00 flour already finer?
I just used the cups of flour and cups of water and reduced the 00 by 1/2 cup and water by 1/2 cup which should total near the 8ounces – right or is there a more proper way?
I know, allot of information – and I know a little about allot instead of allot about everything like you?
Ciao Bella
So if you take it out of the fridge, how long does it take to be ready for the oven? Does it still need to proof after for example 12 hours?
There is a method of making dough and it’s a long bulk, not in the fridge, which wouldn’t be retarding. It sits on the counter overnight, and it’s a no knead using 1/4 tsp yeast. After that bulk or long fermentation, it can be formed and put in the fridge if it can’t be baked. I doing that now, since I want to bake cold in the morning for Thanksgiving dinner.
i have a question about retarded dough. You said dough that has been retarded has a darker crust that is filled with tiny bubbles. I refrigerated my dough for 12 hrs during first rise, shaped it the next day, proofed until it
1-1/2 times its original size. It has tiny bubbles on the surface of the dough after half way proofing and there are bubbles under the crust after baking.
I understand carbon dioxide escape during baking but this doesn’t happen to those buns that i am not using cold fermentation method, they have no bubbles under the crust. Besides, the baked bun size i am using cold fermentation method is always smaller than those i am not using cold fermentation method. I am very puzzled.
Await your reply.
many thanks
Thank You for your knowledge. Lately i tried to retard for the final proof for 10 hours in the fridge. There were many tiny air pockets on the crust like you said that carbon dioxide escaping to the surface during baking. Is there any way to reduce the air pockets on the crust even retarding for the final proof?