Tried a 72 hour cold ferment on my sourdough and the oven spring was insane

Honestly, I usually do an overnight proof in the fridge, maybe 12 hours max. Last week I got busy and left my dough for a full three days. Ngl, I thought it was a goner. When I baked it, the loaf practically jumped out of the Dutch oven and had these huge, open holes I've never gotten before. Has anyone else pushed a cold ferment that long and had it work out?

3 comments

3 Comments

umathompson1mo ago

That "jumped out of the Dutch oven" effect is wild. I've found that super long ferments like that really develop the flavor too, like a tangy, almost cheesy note. The key is having a very strong, active starter and keeping the fridge temp super steady, like right at 38F. If it's warmer, the dough can overproof and turn to soup.

emery_lopez1mo ago

Yeah that "turned to soup" thing is so real, @umathompson. I had to start putting a thermometer in my fridge to check the actual temp, it was running warmer than I thought. A super strong starter makes all the difference for those long cold ferments.

daniel_walker25d ago

It's funny you mention the fridge temp thing... I actually left a probe thermometer in my starter jar once to track it over a week, drove my wife crazy with all the beeping.