I compared cold fermentation vs same-day dough for baguettes

I did a side-by-side last month with the exact same flour and hydration, one sat in the fridge for 24 hours and the other went straight to the oven after mixing. The cold ferment had way better oven spring and that chewy interior I can never get with the quick method. Anyone else find the extra waiting time worth it?

2 comments

2 Comments

jake_dixon19d ago

Oh man, the cold ferment is absolutely worth it every time for baguettes! Did a very similar test a few weeks back with a batch of sourdough baguettes, one at room temp for 4 hours and one in the fridge for 18. The cold ferment ones came out with that blistered, crackly crust and the inside was so much more open and tender. The quick ones were fine, but dense and kinda flat in comparison. Ive started doing all my baguettes with at least a 12 hour cold retard now, even if it means planning ahead. The extra day of waiting is nothing compared to how much better the final bread tastes and feels.

riverowens19d ago

The cold ferment is a total game changer for baguettes, hands down. Did the exact same test a few months back with 70% hydration and the fridge batch had SO much more oven spring and that perfect chewy crumb, while the quick ones just flattened out. Totally agree that planning ahead for that extra day is NOTHING compared to the massive difference in texture and flavor you get.