I’m based in Tokyo, where space is extremely limited, which is to say that in what we can afford for rent there isn’t space for a walk-in cooler. The commercial refrigerators that we use hold a steady temperature but unfortunately don’t allow enough room for cross stacking dough trays so we are using stackable dough pans.
I quite like the dough that I’m getting from the following:
Flour 100%
Salt 1.75%
Sugar 1%
Olive Oil 2%
IDY .375%
Water 56%
However, last night I took one batch and let it sit at room temperature for two hours and then put it into the refrigerator. When I came back this morning the dough was bursting from the seams, killing the dough when separating the pans.
The other batch I took right from balling and put it directly into the refrigerator. No rise this morning but when I let it sit for a couple of hours it wasn’t bad but not great.
I was thinking of lowering the yeast content a bit and seeing what comes of that but thought it best to refer to those that might have more experience than do I, especially with dough pans. Any help is greatly appreciated.
we use cold water right from the cooler…you might consider using ice in your water…make your dough the day before and pull out your dough trays several hours prior to use (floor proof)…get a pattern of replenishing the proofing trays w/ones from the cooler…your dough will develop more flavor over night & when you bale @ a lower temp & longer time…
Thanks for the quick response. I actually make the dough the day before and let it sit over night. So from the table straight to the refrigerator is the best way to go, letting it proof at room temperature the following morning?
that’s how I do it…but we’re the odd one out…I don’t brush the doughballs with oil either…my formula is quite similar 2 yours…no sugar any more…1 0z. IDY yeast per 25# of flour…dough will last for several days…trick is the floor proof time…if you don’t use all that you pull out…back it goes, as long as its not blown…use it straight from the cooler the next day w/limited time out (less than an hour)
Rocco;
You forgot to add the most important piece of information. The finished dough temperature. All that’s needed is for you to find the finished dough temperature that best works with your individual dough pans and reach in cooler. From what you have described, I’m betting that your dough is colder than the specified 80 to 85F. Try it again with a dough that has a finished temperature in the 80 to 85F range. Take the dough directly from the mixer to the bench for scaling and balling, then into the individual cans and DIRECTLY into the cooler. If the dough is still too small on the following day, increase the finished dough temperature by about 5F. You do this by increasing the water temperature by about 10F. If the dough rises too much and blows in the cans, your dough is too warm/hot and you need to lower the finished dough temperature, again you accomplish this by lowering the temperature of the water by about 10F, which should give you a slightly cooler finished dough temperature. Keep adjusting the water temperature, and keep monitoring the finished dough temperature until you find the finished dough temperature that gives you a moderately risen, but not blown dough on the following day. I don’t recommend the knee jerk reaction of lowering the amount of yeast as this will only open a Pandoras Box of new and exciting problems for you, the least of which will most likely be the development of a gum line that you won’t be able to get rid of.
Please let me know if you have any further problems.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor