Bread-Bakers v106.n027.1

"STEPHEN BLUMM" <sblumm@comcast.net> writes:
>If I make dough and want to chill it, put it in a cooler, take it on 
>a trip, and bake a few days later, am I better off letting the dough 
>rise at home, shaping it, and then chilling it?
>
>Or should I chill it as soon as the dough is made, and let it rise 
>the day I want to bake it?

Overnight in the fridge is one thing, but several days? I suspect 
that the long rest will allow too much time for the natural enzymes 
to degrade the gluten and thus be bad for your bread.

For example, I let my sourdough starter rest in my fridge for a week 
or two (extreme, I know) between feedings when I'm not using it. By 
the end of that time, the normally stiff dough is practically 
pourable. This is an extreme example of the type of deterioration 
that I fear might happen to your dough.

If you can keep food frozen, I think you'd be better off making the 
bread completely at home, freezing it. When you're ready to use it on 
your trip, just thaw it and then pop it in the oven briefly to crisp 
up. (It's also possible to underbake it slightly--par bake it--but 
typically certain adjustments need to be made to the formula, and I'm 
not familiar with this. It might also be possible to freeze the 
dough, but again I'm not familiar with the adjustments necessary.

Allen