Overnight Sourdough Bread (2024)

FAQs

Can you leave sourdough bread to rise overnight? ›

Sourdough bread, on the other hand, can easily be left in the fridge for 8-24 hours during the second rise. There is very little risk of the dough over proofing. Some claim that sourdough will over proof after 24 hours in the fridge. At least in my experience, this isn't true.

Sourdough bread can be time consuming to make, and it can be difficult to fit it all in in just one day. Leaving it to rise in the fridge overnight means you can just pop it into the oven the next morning. This can be handy if you don't want to spend all day in the kitchen, or simply need to go out during the day.

Freshly baked sourdough can be left out on the countertop for a day or two before using any of the rest of the methods in this guide. After cutting into the loaf, the crucial step is to ensure you leave it cut side down on your breadboard or chopping board.

Typically, bulk fermentation will take between 6 to 8 hours, but could be longer or shorter by manipulating starter amount and temperature. Ideally, you don't want to allow sourdough bread to cold ferment for longer than 72 hours.

Overproofed is when the dough has rested too long and the yeast has continued making carbon dioxide while the strength of the dough (gluten bonds) have begun to wear out. The dough will look very puffy, but when you touch it or move it you may notice it deflate or sag.

Rather than placing the dough in the refrigerator overnight, leave it covered on the counter for 1 to 4 hours until it's ready to bake. Since the dough is proofed at room temperature, I find using the poke test a very effective way to tell when the bread dough is ready for the oven.

Store it unwrapped on the kitchen counter

Homemade sourdough doesn't contain the preservatives that make store-bought bread last longer, so as long as you don't slice into your loaf, you can store it unwrapped at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

Cold proofing sourdough involves placing it in the refrigerator for an extended period, normally over 5 hours and up to 48 hours. Over several hours the dough slowly decreases in temperature and extends the final part of the fermentation process.

Sourdough bread will keep well for up to 3-5 days at a moderate room temperature of 18-20°C or 64-68°F. The warmer and more humid the conditions become, the more chance the sourdough has of spoiling.

Cold bulk fermentation, also called bulk retarding, calls for fermenting dough at a warm temperature before refrigerating it, often overnight. This technique spreads the baking process over two days, enhances flavor, and makes handling the dough easier because it's cold and firm.

What happens if I leave my sourdough starter out overnight? ›

Can I leave my starter out overnight after feeding it? Yes, if you have just fed it. Since the night is rather long, feed it in a 1:4:4 ratio so that's not over fermented by the morning. If for example you use a 1:1:1 ratio, the starter would peak in the middle of the night, and collapse significantly by next morning.

If you over-ferment the dough you run the risk of the gluten structure degrading and the loaf turning into a puddle of goo before your eyes, never to be retrieved and destined for the bin.

YES! You most definitely can bulk ferment sourdough too long. If you leave the dough to ferment for too long, it will become "over fermented". Over fermented dough will lose its structure and become a soupy, sloppy mess that you will not be able to shape.

“If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie. If this is the case, there's a chance you can save your dough by giving it a quick re-shape. Learn more about this fix in our blog on saving overproofed dough.

You would then remove it from the fridge for feeding ahead of preparing the dough. Can I leave my starter out overnight after feeding it? Yes, if you have just fed it. Since the night is rather long, feed it in a 1:4:4 ratio so that's not over fermented by the morning.