Dear First name / friend,
Happy Halloween! I hope you're having a lovely time celebrating this most spooky time of year! Have you made something special for a Halloween? I hope however you're celebrating you have a great time … and don't eat too much candy!
This week I want to talk about proofing and more specifically how it differs from fermentation,
“Help! I don't understand the difference between proofing and fermenting - are they the same? And which one can I do in the fridge?”.
So let's compare the two terms.
Fermentation refers to the period after you've done your stretch and folds. The dough sits out for bulk fermentation and the yeast and bacteria get to work rising your dough. It must be done at room temperature.
Proofing on the other hand occurs after shaping and can be done in cold temperatures because you don't necessarily need the yeast to be active for this rest period. Your dough will be resting in a
banneton during this stage.
I think much of the confusion comes from people referring to proofing as the second rise, when in fact it's more of a rest than a rise!
I've got some great resources to help you further with this topic:
You might also like this handy sourdough glossary - it's got over 50 commonly used sourdough terms fully explained.
Looking for some recipe inspiration this weekend? Well why not try a couple of my favorites? These are recipes I make for my family most weeks! My kids love bread so there's always something yummy in my oven! Why not try these
sourdough hot dog rolls (they can be used for so many things) or these
sourdough garlic bread bites - they are addictive! And the most baked item in my kitchen? This month it would have to be these
sourdough pumpkin muffins! They are so good … and that glaze!
Oh and if you missed last week's question - you can read the question and answer
here. Last week we talked about the best flour for sourdough bread!
As always, I love to see your sourdough wins - and help you with any problems you might be having. Have a question you'd like answered on my site? Let me know!
Until next week,
Wishing you sourdough success,
Kate
