Help! Called away in the middle of making bread dough...

15 years ago

My chocolate bread dough is rising now. I estimate it will be done rising in 30 - 45 minutes. After that, I'm to shape into loaves and allow to rise again for 1 to 1.5 hours. Then bake.

Problem is that I have to leave the house for about 2 to 2.5 hours. Leaving in about 45 minutes. So the dough will be done with its first rise and I'll have just had time to form the loaves.

Now, the house is fairly cold, so if I leave them to rise at room temp, they will probably take 2 hours to rise. Do you think it will be ok if I leave them for 2 to 3 hours rising? OR should I put the whole thing in the fridge and form the loaves when I get back? At that point I can put them in the oven on "proof" to rise which will definitely allow them to rise more quickly than at room temp.

What do I do? Thanks all you bread experts!!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

User
15 years ago
Lowspark, there are wise bakers her than me but I would not leave the loaves to rise that long. I've had doughs rise to long and the finished product was deflated and flat.

I'd shape and put it in the fridge which will slow down the rise quite a bit. Either that or just leave the dough in the fridges and deal with it when you get back.
lowspark
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Sharon. I went ahead and shaped the loaves and stuck them in the fridge. I'm on my way out the door now. When I get back, I will remove them from the fridge and see if they need more rise time at room temp. Wish me luck!
Related Discussions
How to mix the Artisan Bread dough volume
Q
Comments (24)
Ah-hah! Im glad I measured the yeast now. I thought maybe there was a difference in brands, but if mfrs did that, it would mess up so many recipes that call for 1 packet. I waited 2 hours last night (yawn) before putting the bowl in the refrigerator but I didnt see much rising then. I used warm water and covered the bowl all around with some towels to keep it warmer. I would have left it out but I could not stay awake any longer. Since I have the baking stone I was not going to use parchment, thinking parchment might affect the crisp crust the porous baking stone is supposed to be good for. I have corn meal around (somewhere). But if parchment makes no difference to that tell me. I dont think I have an instant read thermometer but have the kind with a spike that you stick into meat, and my husband has this fancy gadget with a beam he got as a prize at work: you aim it at a surface (like the grill) and it tells you the temperature. But room temperature is easy enough to tell. Though it wont be warmer than 65 F in this house. Front of the stove is a smart idea. terrapots, I will think of your "Shadow" while mine sits next to me. Her blanket is a foot to the right of the keyboard but if she feels neglected she starts encroaching on the mouse. If I still dont give her enough attention she will stand between the keyboard and the monitor or walk on the keyboard. Thanks for the tips!
...See More
HELP! can I freeze already risen bread dough?
Q
Comments (9)
You can form the rolls and freeze....but they will continue to rise as they chill down in the freezer, and when they thaw, they will have to come to room temp and continue the rise before you can bake. Commercial frozen dough places have access to super cold flash freezers that will arrest the dough in mid rise. As for baking partly, unless you get the centers of the roll cooked, they will fall and be mushy on the inside of the pan. By far, the best way I have found is just what you did...bake and freeze....but it's nice to have a whole pan....and not one with a sample missing! LOL! Linda C
...See More
Bread Dough - Five Day Fermentation ....Pics
Q
Comments (18)
Ann T, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only person who thinks sourdough is too "sour". I tried and tried to get a viable living starter and after I did, I didn't even like it very much! I haven't baked bread in a long time, Elery's been on a diet and since he loves homemade bread he has asked me not to make it . Since neither of us care for store-bought bread, it sure cuts down the bread consumption! Sandra, Grandma only baked basic bread during the winter, when the chickens weren't laying eggs and we didn't have an overflow of butter. All other times she made the rich farmhouse white bread with butter, eggs and milk, some sugar. I really have to make some bread soon. It won't look like Ann T's but I don't care, LOL, I'll eat the end piece off the loaf before I ever think to take a picture. Annie
...See More
Can I keep rich bread dough in fridge?
Q
Comments (5)
I bet this recipe will do very well in the refrigerator. I would spray a sheet of plastic wrap with vegetable spray and tuck it over the dough to help maintain the moisture in the dough. Another way to keep moisture in is to place the dough inside a 2-gallon zip-lock bag and press out as much air from the bag as possible before closing it. If you find the dough gets a little dry, add some mashed potatoes (or potato flakes) to the recipe, and I think you will be good to go. In "The Baking Book" the author and microbiologiest, Lloyd M. Moxon, who specializes in yeast biochemistry explains why. "Mashed potatoes - or any pureed vegetable - is vital for refrigerator doughs because it preserves moisture in the dry climate of the refrigerator." Adding mashed potatoes was quite common for refrigerator recipes - Betty Crocker's Refrigerator Bread Recipe is a classic, and it includes mashed potatoes. What happens to refrigerated dough... Retarding dough in the refrigerator has a few up-sides. The bacteria will produce some tasty acids so the flavor is enhanced. While the yeast is dormant and no longer consuming the sugars, the bacteria feeds on them and you'll get more complex flavors. Chilling the dough will probably result in a slightly more open texture. But on the down-side, it also may reduce the ovenspring and the loaf volume. There is "trick" I found in "CookWise" by Shirley O. Corriher, you can do if you find the loaf volume is smaller than normal and would like more volume. After chilling the dough, you can dissolve a little yeast (1/2 t.) in a few tablespoons of warm water and knead this into the dough before shaping. Another thing you may notice, the bread won't be as dark brown and the whole wheat flavor more mild. That's a characteristic from the long hydration time. Let us know how it goes.... -Grainlady
...See More
User
15 years ago
I'm too late, but I would have told you to - Knock the dough down again and refrigerate. It won't hurt it to have a second rise. When you take it out of the fridge though it could need a few hours to come to room temperature before you shape the loaves.

Ann
lowspark
Original Author
15 years ago
OK, well the bread, formed into loaves, stayed in the fridge for almost three hours and had come to about 1.5 in size. So I took it out and let it sit on the counter for one hour, and it's now about 1.75 in size. It just has a little bit more time to go till it's doubled. Slow rise so as many of you experienced bread bakers say, it should be even better. I've got it in the oven now on "proof" so that it will finish rising soon. I'll check it again in about 20 minutes or so.

It's an all day project!! LOL
Anyway, the dough looked so good when I put it in for its first rise and had a wonderful aroma so I'm looking forward to a delicious chocolate cherry bread! I L-O-V-E this forum!

May
annie1992
15 years ago
Well, it's too late, but I agree, I'd have knocked down the dough and put it in the fridge, taken it out and let it rise when I got home. Just like you already did, LOL.

So, how was it? Oh, and incidentally, I think a long slow rise adds a nice flavor to bread, but I also think that the chocolate and cherry in your particular bread might overwhelm that flavor and you probably won't notice a difference.

Annie
lowspark
Original Author
15 years ago
Annie,
you are probably right about the chocolate overwhelming the flavor. It turned out great in the end. It did rise as needed, eventually, and baked to make a delicious loaf with a hard crust & wonderfully decadent chocolate & cherry. I posted pix on the original thread where Ann gave me the recipe.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chocolate Cherry Bread - looking for a recipe
annie1992
15 years ago
I'm glad they turned out well. I can't see the pictures here at work, I'll check them out tonight at home.

Annie

Help! Called away in the middle of making bread dough...

Comments (7)

User

lowspark
Original Author

Related Discussions

User

lowspark
Original Author

annie1992

lowspark
Original Author

annie1992

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Help! Called away in the middle of making bread dough...

Comments (7)

User

lowsparkOriginal Author

Related Discussions

User

lowsparkOriginal Author

annie1992

lowsparkOriginal Author

annie1992

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

lowspark
Original Author

lowspark
Original Author

lowspark
Original Author