Overnight Cold Fermentation Method
The overnight cold fermentation method involves mixing 50%-80% of the flour in the bread recipe, along with the corresponding amount of water, to form a dough. The dough is then stored in a refrigerated environment between 0-5°C for about 12 hours. The next day, it is softened at room temperature and then mixed with other ingredients to form the dough. It’s important to note that this overnight cold fermentation dough does not contain yeast.
The process is as follows: weighing ingredients → mixing overnight cold fermentation dough → refrigerating → mixing main dough → dough fermentation → shaping → proofing → baking → cooling → finished product.
Characteristics of the overnight cold fermentation method:
The bread quality is excellent, with increased volume and better elasticity, especially softer and more tender; the bread ages more slowly, allowing for longer storage; the mixing method is simple, and the dough can be accessed at any time due to low-temperature storage, with the dough being able to be stored for 3-5 days at 0-5°C; controlling the temperature of the overnight cold fermentation dough is not easy and requires regular practice to master.
Liquid Fermentation Method
The liquid fermentation method involves placing yeast in a liquid medium, allowing it to propagate for several hours to create a fermentation liquid. This fermentation liquid is then mixed with other ingredients to form the dough.
The process is as follows: mixing ingredients → liquid fermentation → dough mixing → continued fermentation → shaping → proofing → baking → cooling → finished product.
Characteristics of this method:
It shortens fermentation time, increases production efficiency; enables full automation and continuous production from ingredient handling to packaging; extends the bread’s shelf life and slows down the aging process; reduces fermentation time.
Triple Fermentation Method
Similar to the second fermentation method, the triple fermentation method involves mixing the dough three times and fermenting it three times to make bread. The triple fermentation method is very popular in European countries, and some varieties of bread, such as famous French bread, Russian bread, Italian bread, Viennese bread, etc., are produced using this method.
The process is as follows: initial mixing → initial fermentation → second mixing → second fermentation → main dough mixing → main dough fermentation → shaping → proofing → baking → cooling → finished product.
Characteristics of this method:
The more times the dough is fermented, the better the flavor of the bread; high-quality bread can be produced; the production cycle of this method is longer and not advantageous in terms of efficiency and cost.
Bread aging is inevitable, so delaying bread aging is particularly important. In home baking, bread without additives will age faster, and many people find that the bread they make becomes dry and hard by the second day.
Apart from storage, fermentation is another reason for this issue. The sponge method and liquid sponge method can delay bread aging because they involve one more fermentation than the direct method. The more times the dough is fermented, the slower the bread will age, which is also a drawback of the direct fermentation method!
