Q:Do I knead the old dough into the main dough after the first proof during shaping, or do I mix it in right from the start before the first proof?
A:Tear up the old dough and mix it right in with the main dough ingredients from the very beginning so they knead and ferment together.
Q:In winter when my room temperature is too cold for it to rise, can I put it in a proofing box before refrigerating? How long should I proof it?
A:Yes, try giving it 30 minutes in the proofing box first.
Q:Can I store the finished old dough in an airtight jar?
A:For fridge storage, I keep the finished old dough in an airtight food container. For freezing, I wrap individual portions in plastic wrap and seal them inside a freezer bag.
Q:I'm a bit confused: if a 450g loaf recipe calls for 250g bread flour and I add 50g of old dough, doesn't that make 300g total? Won't it overflow a 450g pan?
A:A 50g piece of old dough only contains about 30g (25 to 33g) of flour, bringing your total flour to around 275-280g, which fits a 450g Pullman pan with no problem.
Q:What refrigerator temperature is required for cold-fermenting old dough? Thanks!
A:Keep your fridge between 4°C and 6°C, and no colder than 4°C.
Q:My sponge dough sat at room temperature for 5 hours and already smells alcohol-y. Can I still use it as old dough?
A:Yes, you can tear it up and mix it into a main dough as old dough.
Q:Now that my old dough is ready, can I just take any direct-method bread recipe and toss a piece of old dough right in?
A:Yes! Add 50g of old dough per loaf and extend the baking time slightly. Your loaf will rise even taller than usual because of the extra dough weight and the way old dough strengthens and improves the crumb structure.
Q:If the bread dough I'm making today already has salt, sugar, and butter mixed in, can I still pinch off a piece to save as old dough for next time?
A:Yes, absolutely! I often pinch off a piece of my regular enriched bread dough to save as old dough.
Q:My old dough sat out in a 28-29°C room for 6 hours and rose 2 to 3 times in size before I remembered to put it in the fridge. Can it still be saved?
A:Give it a sniff: as long as it doesn't have a harsh, pungent sour smell, it is still fine to use. A pleasant yeasty fermentation aroma is completely normal.
Q:If I made the old dough on the 18th and refrigerated it, is it still good to use on the 21st?
A:Smell it first; as long as it hasn't turned sour or spoiled, you can still use it.
Q:Can I skip using yeast if I use old dough? Yeast is so precious during the pandemic
A:Hug hug, personal experience still needs yeast, relying solely on old dough isn't powerful enough
Q:Teacher, I want to ask if I add old dough, do I need to reduce the amount of yeast? I want to use it sparingly... I can't buy yeast anymore
A:Hug sisters, the old dough isn't very powerful, I never reduce it when making bread, the yeast I have at home isn't very effective either. I see my mom use old dough for steamed buns with just a little yeast, which seems to work fine.
Q:Can old dough that has been refrigerated for more than three days still be used?
A:Smell to see if it has gone bad and become sour; if it hasn't gone bad, it can be used.
Q:When you take it out to use, do you just mix it directly with new flour and then put it in the fridge to ferment overnight?
A:Take it out and use it directly with the flour and other ingredients of the main dough. If it's the direct method, there's no need to refrigerate it overnight again.
Q:May I ask, does the cold fermentation of old dough have any requirements for the refrigerator temperature? Thank you!
A:4—6 degrees, do not go below 4 degrees High-sugar-tolerant yeast has a wider range of use than ordinary yeast. The difference in old dough is actually not significant, but considering that the old dough will still be added to the main dough for use, the main dough may contain high sugar content. To ensure that the old dough performs well, it is safer to use high-sugar-tolerant yeast.
Q:Can I use medium flour?
A:If using medium flour to make toast, the texture will be coarse. Old dough is fine.
Q:Last night it was left at room temperature for two hours and in the refrigerator for thirteen hours, but there was no change in
A:Is it because it's too cold? Or has the yeast lost its activity? Take it out and put it in a slightly warmer place to see again
Q:Is it that after adding these materials and mixing until there's no dry powder left, you can ferment and store it for him?
A:It can be like this: mix until there's no dry powder left, then knead a few times, cover it up, and in about twenty minutes, it will become very smooth and easy with just a few more kneads.
Q:Why does the crust of the European-style bread become hard the next day after making it Is it always like this
A:The crust becoming hard might be due to insufficient kneading of the dough. Try using the recipe for a biga or poolish, as bread made with these preferments tends to be softer and ages more slowly.
Q:Excuse me, if I make toast using the direct method, where should the old dough be added? Should it be mixed in during the kneading step or added after the kneading is complete? Thank you so much～～～
A:Add from the beginning, together with flour, water, sugar, salt, and these ingredients.
Q:Ask if you don't understand: Is old dough used as yeast?
A:Not, just add a part to the dough to improve the dough structure and texture, and yeast still needs to be added. Too kind😊You're welcome
Q:Does adding old dough require shortening the kneading and proofing time?
A:The dough will rise faster if more old dough is added. If less is added, the difference is actually not significant.
Q:Teacher, today I added 50 grams of old dough to make meat floss toast. Usually, it takes 30 minutes with San Neng low-sugar dough, but today it was still barely done after 35 minutes. Is it because the height is too high? It seems to be unable to support itself.
A:The total amount of dough is too large, so more time is needed. If the total amount of dough is the same, the time should be the same. Is the filling inside a bit more than before? If there's no filling, I just add a few minutes without increasing the temperature. If there is filling, I increase the temperature by 10 degrees, then adjust the baking time for about ten minutes and then lower the temperature by ten degrees. However, there are differences between different ovens. In my latest note, I used a new oven and it took seven minutes less than the old large oven. Wish for success next time
Q:Didn't understand, if making a 450g toast, then need 250g bread flour, how many grams of old dough should be added? If 50g, then it would be 300g, would the 450g mold expand a lot?
A:Old dough 50 grams, flour is 25 grams, so in total it's about 275 grams of flour. Using a 450-gram mold is fine. Because old dough is made with flour and water in a ratio of about 1:1, 50 grams of old dough means using about 25 grams of flour ☺️ Mmm, you can increase the water amount until you knead it into a normal dough.
Q:Teacher, if my toast dough didn't rise and then I added yeast to make it rise again at room temperature, what else can I do with this dough?
A:Feeling that making old dough is safer. Divide and package well, use up within three days, or freeze for longer preservation. Add a piece each time you make it, about 80 to 100 grams for each loaf of toast.
