Many people say you have to slow ferment your bread after shaping to give it better flavor, but I can never understand that. Why not just slow ferment the whole batch then shape it when it is done fermenting?
This way is way safer as you can't ruin the proofing if you forget it a bit longer than intended and it has been giving me the desirable results I am after.
Are there any advantages in slow fermenting individual breads instead of the whole batch?
I am talking about crusted white bread. After the slow fermentation for the whole batch, I will just shape the bread, put it in a dutch oven and let it proof for 10-20 minutes, slash it then pop it in the oven to bake. For the other method (which I don't use) they just get it out of the fridge, slash it and pop it into the oven.
Best Answer
I suspect this is a large part of the answer; maybe it's the entire answer. It's very convenient to be able to take your proofed loaf out of the refrigerator and put it right into the oven.
I don't typically do this, but I appreciate the value. I usually don't ferment in the refrigerator, but just at room temperature, using a small amount of yeast or starter. If you wanted to retard the bulk fermentation (putting it in the refrigerator), you might need to let the dough come up to room temperature before proofing. That would definitely take longer and be harder to time.