Sourdough baking require an understanding of how temperature affect dough. Temperature is a primary variable in sourdough baking because temperature control the speed of fermentation. When the temperature in a kitchen are high, the fermentation process happen quickly.
When the temperature in a kitchen is low, the fermentation process happen slow. Because temperature change the speed of fermentation, you cannot rely only on a timer to know when the dough are ready. You must observe the dough to determine if the dough is ready.
How Temperature Affects Sourdough
There are two main stages of fermentation in sourdough baking, and these stages is bulk fermentation and the final proof. Bulk fermentation is the first stage of fermentation, and bulk fermentation occur after you mix the flour and water. During bulk fermentation, the dough develop strength and the dough develop gas.
The final proof is the second stage of fermentation, and the final proof occur after you have shaped the dough. The final proof prepare the dough for the heat of the oven. Temperature act as an accelerator for the biological process in the dough.
If a kitchen is warm, the dough will reach it’s peak volume quick, but if a kitchen is cold, the dough will reach its peak volume slow. Many peoples experience overproofing because many peoples follow a timer instead of observing the dough. Overproofing occur when the dough ferment for too long, and overproofing cause the gluten structure to collapse.
To prevent the gluten structure from collapsing, you can manage the speed of fermentation by use a refrigerator. Using a refrigerator allow you to perform a cold proof. A cold proof is a method where you move the shaped dough into a refrigerator to slowing down the fermentation.
Moving the dough into a refrigerator hit a pause button on the fermentation process, and this slow fermentation develop flavor. A cold proof also make the dough easier to score because the cold dough are easier to cut with a blade. You can choose a short cold proof for a mild flavor, or you can choose an extended cold proof for a more stronger flavor.
The success of the dough depend on the health of the sourdough starter. If the sourdough starter are not active, the timing of the fermentation will be incorrect. You should use the sourdough starter when the sourdough starter have doubled or tripled in size.
A reliable way to check the sourdough starter is to perform a float test. In a float test, you place a small amount of the sourdough starter in water to see if the sourdough starter float. If the sourdough starter does not float, the sourdough starter may not have enough gas bubble to leaven the dough.
If you see a dark liquid called hooch on top of the sourdough starter, the sourdough starter is hungry and require more feeding. You must look for visual cue to determine the state of the dough. The dough begin as a shaggy mass, but the dough eventually become smooth and elastic as the gluten develop.
You should look for the dough to increase in volume by half to three-quarters of it’s original size. When the dough is ready, the dough should feel jiggly when you shake the container. If the dough feel flat and sticky, the dough is likely overproofed.
The final step is the baking process. You can use a preheated Dutch oven to create steam during the bake. Steam is important because steam allow the crust to expand during the initial minute of baking.
If the crust is too pale, you may be removing the lid from the Dutch oven too early, and removing the lid too early reduce the amount of moisture available to the crust. To improve your sourdough baking, you should track the temperature of the dough with a thermometer and keep a log of your results. Using a thermometer and keeping a log will help you understand how temperature affects your dough.