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One of the most intriguing questions in my (admittedly short!) sourdough adventure thus far has been: How do I create a loaf that I can consistently proof in the refrigerator and bake straight from that cold environment, without it under or over-proofing? While the length of bulk fermentation is important in this calculus, it’s not the only part.

The following is the formula I've developed for one large loaf that is created specifically for a long proof in the refrigerator. The instructions are for a boule, but it could easily be shaped as a batard. Roughly 20% levain (by total weight, 40% by baker's percentage) seems to be my sweet spot for a long, cold-proofed loaf that can be baked straight from the fridge (i.e., proofs fully in the fridge at about 45 degrees F, but doesn’t over-proof!).  I’ve baked this formula five times with great results...it can be modified to include more mix-ins, and even a significant percentage of whole grains.

The 78% hydration, long autolyse, chill during bulk fermentation, and long, cold proof yield a custardy, open crumb! The long autolyse also contributes to gluten formation, which make the final dough much easier to handle.

Ingredients:

200 g active 100% hydration white starter (however you want to create that levain)
400 g all-purpose flour (I love King Arthur)
290 g cool water
11 g (sea) salt
15 g sugar
5 g malt powder

Method:

1) Mix together flour and cool water, and set aside to autolyse at room temperature for anywhere from 6-12 hours. Make sure to mix the water and flour very well before this long autolyse; don't be afraid to really mash the dough down with a wet hand. You don't want any dry bits lingering, because they will be difficult to incorporate later. If you mix it well, it will be such smooth sailing when you mix in the levain, I promise!

2) Combine autolysed flour and water with the starter, salt, sugar, and malt powder. Squeeze the dough through your fingers to fully combine for the first two minutes or so, then stretch and fold for 2-3 minutes more. 

3) Fold the dough every 30 minutes for the next 2 hours. When I stretch-and-fold, I like to give it as many turns as I feel the dough “needs.” To perform a fold, I reach under the dough and pull it over itself, rotating 90 degrees every time. At every 30-minute interval, I stop when the whole mass of dough begins to pull up out of the container. This is anywhere between 4 and 20 folds (that is, between 1 and 5 full stretch-and-fold turns). 

4) Allow the dough to rest at room temperature between 2 and 4 hours, or until 70-80% increased in size. I realize that this is a bit more increase than is called for in some formulas, but it is my preference in this case!

5) Place the container of dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour, and up to 6 hours.* 

6) Remove the container from the refrigerator. Sprinkle flour over the top of the dough and spread it. Loosen the dough from the sides of the container, allowing the flour to fall around the edges of the dough. This will create a nice floured gluten cloak at the bottom of your dough. 

7) Pour the dough onto a work surface so that the floured surface is on the bottom. Pull the edges of the dough towards the middle to form a very loose boule -- this is the pre-shape. Rest for ten minutes. 

8) After ten minutes, pull the edges towards the center and pick the ball up, twisting in your hand to create tension. Form a tight boule, however you’re most comfortable doing that. 

9) Place the boule seam-side up in a floured banneton or brotform of some kind, and cover in plastic. 

10) Allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

11) Place in the refrigerator to proof for at least 8 hours, and up to 22 hours. The longer it proofs in the refrigerator, the more open and gelated the crumb will become. 

12) Remove the banneton/brotform and release it onto a piece of parchment paper. 

13) Score the boule, and bake at 475 F for 20 minutes with steam, then 20-25 minutes without steam.

*Alternatively, you could place the dough in the refrigerator directly after the two hours of stretch-and-fold, and then remove it later to sit at room temperature until increased 70-80%. Either way works great; I do stand by having a chill on the dough at some point during bulk fermentation.

Some loaves for which I've used this formula:

The Basic Formula (As Torpedoes and Boules):

80% Whole Wheat with Toasted Seeds and Cranberries:

Brown Ale and Spent Grain Torpedoes:

Everything Bagel Seasoning-Topped (Crowd Favorite!):

Thanks to all for your wonderful photos, formulas, and advice. TFL has just been the greatest resource as I navigate my first year of baking!

--Hannah

We use a lot of cranberries around here mainly as part of our snockered fruit bled we put in so many baked good.  Evon published her beautiful cranberry bread she made her Mom and we have been making a bunch of different breads with dried fruits and nuts of late.  The only ones we missed were cranberries and pecans.  Then we saw a beautiful cranberry and pecan batard at Whole Foods when we were there stocking upon whole grain berries.

That sort of moved the cranberry and pecan bread up to the top of the list.  My apprentice just couldn’t leave it at that so she went - with whole; rye, spelt and wheat in the levains only along with some corn flour in dough.  We are trying to get out tongue around corn flavor wise and have seen it so many bakes of late like Janet’s Anadama Bread.

Lucy found some apricot soaking water from the last bake (which we added the cranberry soaker water to) and ricotta cheese in the fridge. She also scalded up multigrain berries as she does for just about every bread.  It must be a German thing.  She also used our normal flavor, color and rise enhancers of malts, Toadies and VWG.  Not including the multigrain scald, we kept to our healthy and tasty minimum of 30% whole grains.

Because of the Tang Zhong, ricotta, scald and re-hydrated cranberries, this dough does not look or act like a 70% hydration bread.  It is very wet feeling, like 78% or more - so not quite ciabatta.  The Tang Zhong took 25 g or the flout mix and 125 g of water not included in the formula to make the roux.

We built 2 separate levains over 3 stages.  One a YW and the other a rye sour.  Both levains had doubled at the end of 2nd 4 hour stage.  At the beginning of the 3rd stage, right after feeding, we refrigerated the levains for 12 hours.  The next morning we took them out of the fridge and allowed them come to room temperature and double again in 4 hours.

We did our usual 4 hour autolyse, starting when the levains came out of the fridge, including everything except; salt, ricotta, YW and rye sour levains, the scald, cranberries and pecans.  When the autolyse met the 2 levains, we added the salt and did 10 minutes of slap and folds.  After a 15 minute rest we did (4) sets of S&F’s on 15 minute intervals.  On the first S&F we incorporated the ricotta.  On the 2nd we put in the scald.

 After the 2nd we divided the dough in half.  On the 3rd we added the cranberries and on the 4th we made sure everything was incorporated for one half.  The other half of the dough was S&F’ed without the fruit and nuts.  This way we get a breakfast toast and a lunch sandwich bread.

 After an hour of counter fermentation the dough was retarded in the fridge for 15 hours.  In the morning they were retrieved from the fridge and allowed to come to room temperature for 1 hour before being shaped into a batard for the fruit and nut version and an oval for the plain.

 Both were placed into a trash can liner to proof for 2 hours before Big Old Betsy was fired up to 500 F with Sylvia’s steaming pan and David’s CI Lava Rock steam in place.  Once Betsy beeped she was at temperature we waited 20 minutes before un-molding the bread, scoring and placing onto the bottom stone.

 After 5 minutes we turned the oven down to 475 F. Our oven reads 25 F low so adjust your temperature accordingly.  After a total of 15 minutes of steam we removed it and turned the oven down to 425 F, convection this time.  We rotated the bread every 10 minutes and after 20 minutes without steam the bread reached 205 F in the center.

 We turned off the oven and left the bread on the stone, with the door ajar for 10 minutes to crisp the skin before removing it to a cooling rack.  The crust browned nicely with small blisters and went from crisp to softer as it cooled.  The spring and bloom were OK too.  The cranberry, pecan version browned more for some reason.

 The crumb of both versions was about the softest, moistest and tastiest we have ever managed to bake into any bread.  it is just fantastic as a sandwich bread and we hope it toasts just as well for breakfast in the morning.  It is like eating two different breads one more cranberry sweet and pecan nutty.  Both are terrific!  Thanks Evon for the cranberry inspiration, to Ian for the cheese and to my apprentice for the nuts. 

 We love spaghetti and meatballs.  Hopefully the plain version will grill up nicely for garlic toast or bruschetta or breakfast.

Formula

Sending this to Yeastspotting.

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Can't believe that I have never baked with spelt yet, well until last weekend that is. I finally got some spelt flour and went to town with it. In my typical "jump in with both feet" way, I make a 100% spelt souroudgh. Two sources were helpful with my research:
http://www.breadtopia.com/spelt-bread-recipe/
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/13934/100-spelt-levain-bread (Shiao-Ping)
However, my ratio and fermentation schedule ended up being quite different form both of them, but the thing I learned from their posts held true: spelt has quite a bit of gluten, but not as much as wheat, and more delicate, which means it's the best to handle it gently and try hard not to over rise/proof.

Spelt Flour, 298g
Spelt Starter(100%), 105g (I started with my white starter, and fed it with spelt (1:2:2) 3 times to convert it "mostly" to spelt)
Agave, 28g (if use honey, might need more since agave is sweeter)
Water, 193g
Salt, 7g

1. Mix everything autolyse for 20 to 60min, mix by hand until even.
2. Bulk rise at room temp (~75F) for about 2.5hrs. S&F at 30, 60, 90, 120min.
4. Shape, put in basketes smooth side down, put in fridge over night.
5. Next morning take the dough out to finish proofing, about 45min for me. Score.

6. Bake in cast iron pot at 460F with lid on for 20min, lower to 430F, take away lid, bake for another 25min.

The dough is fairly wet & loose, so I chose to bake in cast iron pot to keep the height better.

I like the addition of Agave in the formula, which complements with the spelt flavor well. Honey or other sweeteners would do as well.

Crumb is quite open, and I really like the slightly "bitter"/earthy taste of spelt, no wonder it's used so often by other bakers.

This is an illustration of Shaping a batard i thought i would share with TFL memebers.

I Hope this helps new TFL members with shaping skills.