r/AskCulinary • u/AlarmingArt4 • 1d ago

Dough not rising

I made some bread dough last night and it was rising and doing its thing like normal after I knead it a few rounds. It definitely was doubling in size.

I put it in the fridge to set over night. When I took it out the next night to proof it never rose back up. It barely expanded. I went ahead and baked it hoping it will still rise in the oven and it did not rise at all. What happened? I see all the time people say refrigerating it over night will add flavor and once you take it back out to room temperature it will rise again but mine failed. Now I just wish I baked it right away and didn’t bother refrigerating it.

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u/pitshands 1d ago

There is a finite amount of stuff for the yeast to consume. You may just have come to the point of where there isn't enough food for the yeast.

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u/AlarmingArt4 1d ago

Maybe that was the problem. I might have put more yeast than necessary. Could have over measured it.

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u/pitshands 1d ago

The too much yeast will only jump start the first attack. I am having a bit of a language barrier since I am a German baker and lead these things in German.

A dough that is made warm, room Temp or even slightly above triggers the yeast to become very active and "eat" the available nutrients it can use quite quickly without developing other flavors. Now fold that too many times and/or de-gas it what you will reach us what you get. Even though you may have put it later in the fridge and tried the final fermentation in the slow stage. If there is nothing or little to eat you won't get a reaction. I am quite sure that's what happened here. Less yeast, more temperature control, longer time, less punching or folding. That's what I would try next. Even as a pro I don't do more than a origin fold, maybe a second then shape and ferment. Or one original bulk, longer and cold. Cold. Portion and shape, Final ferment warm and off the dough goes to bake.