I thought I would pop in on the topic of bread that has had extra
opportunity to rise. Got back to Alaska yesterday from a weeks travel and
noted that the hearth bread dough (based on a Beth Hensberger recipe and
made on dough cycle in the bread machine) that I had made and placed in the
Fridge 10 days ago was still chilling. Got it out to rise and went to work
for the rest of the day. After about 8 hours sitting in the sink, the bag
had gas but the bread had not materially changed shape. Spread the dough
out on a 1/2 sheet pan with silpat pad and cut the dough into squares with
a dough knife (dull). After heating the oven and baking the 2 pounds of
dough for 25 minutes I had nice dense foccicia shaped pieces of bread. Not
hockey puck, but very dense. Sliced one of the pieces and made a ham
sandwich for my spouse when she got back here after a week of travel in
interior Alaska. She raved about the flavor.
Thin shaping of an over risen dough to a pizza or foccicia shape can result
in a edible and tasty bread that just is not a high riser.
I have not use this long a storage for dough before, but have used over
risen dough to make a naan form on a hot griddle successfully.
Conclusion -- old dough or over risen dough can make good bread, but not a
high rising loaf.
Ken Vaughan -- in Juneau where spring has finally come and the leaves are
coming out.