Why I proof in the fridge
19 May 2026
Proofing overnight at 4 °C solved two problems at once. The loaf fits around my working day, and the flavour is noticeably deeper.
Cold slows the yeast much more than it slows the bacteria that produce acid. Twelve to sixteen hours in the fridge gives a mild tang without the dough over-proofing.
Cold dough is also far easier to score. The blade cuts cleanly instead of dragging, and the loaf keeps its shape when it goes into the pot.
I bake straight from the fridge. Letting the dough warm up first made no difference in a side-by-side test, apart from a flatter loaf.