Graham > wrote:
>>
>> Ask a worker in your local supermarket bakery how they manage to do it.
>> They receive all their breads frozen and then bake on demand. Even in
>> France, many so-called boulangeries operate this way, the pre-formed breads
>> often imported from other EEC countries.
>
> Just a thought but perhaps you defrosted at room temperature. Next time,
> defrost in the fridge. Then the dough will thaw without any appreciable
> rising. Then you can let it proof at room temperature.

I have a vague (and possibly mistaken) memory of frozen dough sold in the
supermarket which could be thawed, proofed and baked to make fresh bread.
This was at least twenty years ago, I never tried it and haven't looked since.
Did anybody ever try it?

I have tried both freezing/thawing and simply rising dough in the fridge.
Neither seems to work half so well as simply starting with warm materials
and letting the yeast work at room or slightly elevated temperature to
completion, usually over a span of five or so hours. Whenever I try to
apply some brakes, the rise doesn't recover.

The two obvious suspects are yeast activity and dough gas retention. Anybody
willing to hazard a guess? Being able to pause and restart the rise would
be very handy. My dough is 60% white 40% wholewheat King Arthur, 60% water
at most. Red Star active dry yeast behaved about the same as sourdough
starter.

Thanks for reading,

bob prohaska