[Sca-cooks] Re: questions about breads

[Louise Smithson]

from Alexa: 

I will be making bread for an upcoming event. Due to
time and lack of large kitchen space, per norm, I
would like to premake the bread. Any suggestions? 

Harold McGee (On food and cooking, an absolute gem) says this:
Staling proceeds most rapidly at temperatures just above freezing and very slowly below freezing. In one experiment, bread stored in the refrigerator at 46F/7C staled as much in one day as bread held at 86F/30C did in six days.  If you're going to use bread in a day or two, then store it at room temperature in a breadbox or paperbag, which reduces moisture loss while allowing the crust to remain somewhat crisp.  If you need to keep bread for seveal days or more, then wrap it well in plastic or foild and freeze it.  

Also: Bread dough can be frozen, thawed and baked into bread, but freezing kills a large proportion of the yeast cells, which means less leavening power, a slower rise, and the spread of yeast chemicals that weaken gluten. Sweet rich doughs turn out to freeze the best. The best stage at which to freeze bread dough is after the dough has risen and baked for 70 - 80% of its usual baking time.  This frozen "par baked" bread can be thawed and finished with just a few minutes in a hot oven.  Yeast survival is no longer important becasue the yeast cells have done their leavening and are killed during the initial bake.  

Helewyse
ps I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know exactly why things happen like they do.  Once you understand the theory behind something you can use it to your advantage. 


		
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