Over Proofing Bread Dough

[essvee]

I know from bitter experience the results of overproofing the second rise for bread. But what about the first? How tied to the "let rise until just doubled" rule do I have to be for the first proof?

Thanks in advance.

[tino27]

I've reshaped an overproofed first rise without too much problem. I'd rather reshape and reproof than give up and just toss the dough.

[Alcuin]

I know from bitter experience the results of overproofing the second rise for bread. But what about the first? How tied to the "let rise until just doubled" rule do I have to be for the first proof?

Thanks in advance.

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I can't really speak to whether overproofing has worse effects from one stage of the process to the next, but my instincts say that overproofing is overproofing and you don't want it to happen either way. That's not saying much though to answer your question about whether its worse in one stage over another--sorry.

As to the notion of letting the dough rise until it doubles, I don't think this is really a good way to tell whether its far enough along or not. Different doughs will look different when they're properly proofed and many don't "double" in volume. My sourdough bread for instance just looks slightly puffy when it's ready to be shaped--I don't think it's doubled at that point, but it's ready nevertheless. A better gauge for this is to actually slash the dough and see what kind of air bubbles have developed--if it looks like a weblike network of air bubbles it's ready, if not I give it more time. This is more accurate than looking for "doubling" and I think is a useful rule of thumb that you can apply to a variety of breads.

[slkinsey]

It depends on whether you are making a sourdough bread or not. If you are making a sourdough, overproofing at the bulk fermentation stage probably means too much gluten degradation, which means that you're doomed. If you are making a dough leavened with commercial yeast, overproofing in the bulk fermentation stage need not be catastrophic -- it depends on whether sufficient fermentable sugars remain in the dough for the yeast to give you a decent rise once the bread is shaped.

Overproofing once the bread is shaped is far less easy to recover from. The dough will be extremely delicate and very likely to collapse when you transfer it to a peel, dock it and put it in the oven.

[essvee]

Thanks all.

[Tiny]

overproofing during bulk fermentation will also affect the flavor of your bread...it can give it an over fermented taste and throw the texture off........lost a couple points on my practical challah at school for this

[slkinsey]

This depends, in my opinion, on how much yeast was used in the beginning. Many bread recipes call for way too much yeast in order to make the dough develop quickly.