I never believed in resting dough overnight until a neighbor talked me into it

For years I made my dinner rolls the same way every Saturday morning. Mix, knead, let rise for an hour, shape, second rise, bake. They were fine but nothing special. My neighbor across the street is this retired guy who bakes sourdough every other day. He told me to try mixing my dough the night before and letting it sit in the fridge for 12 hours instead of rushing it. I thought he was crazy but I gave it a shot last weekend. The rolls came out way lighter and had this deeper flavor I could never get before. I didn't even need to change my recipe, just the timing. Has anyone else tried a long cold ferment and had it actually make a difference in something simple like white bread rolls?

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christophermorgan15d ago

Honestly, you gotta be careful with that. Cold fermenting dough for 12 hours is fine for most yeasted recipes, but if you're using a lot of yeast or a really soft dough with butter or milk, it can overproof in the fridge and turn into a sticky mess. I've had it happen with brioche rolls once, ended up with flat, sour-tasting blobs. Try cutting your yeast by like a quarter to a third if you're gonna do the overnight thing, that usually balances it out better.