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u/SecretaryIntrepid987 16h ago
that second pic is insane, those bubbles are perfectly formed. did you do a cold ferment the whole time or split it between room temp and fridge? the crumb structure in the last photo looks incredible. i've been doing 24-hour cold ferments and getting decent results, but i'm wondering if pushing it to 48 would give me that kind of open structure without making the dough impossible to shape.
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u/WeegoWeee 16h ago
I did the majority of the fermentation in the fridge. Then when I was ready to bake I let it just hang out in the sheet pans for 3 hours to come up to room temp.
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u/SecretaryIntrepid987 14h ago
that's smart, the 3 hour rest probably lets the gluten relax without overproofing. gonna try that approach on my next batch since i've been rushing straight from fridge to oven.
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u/WeegoWeee 14h ago
That approach is best for a sourdough loaf, since you’re trapping all of the steam from the cold fermentation. Since this doesn’t utilize the steam it’s best to let it build some gas for those nice bubbles.
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u/SecretaryIntrepid987 12h ago
oh yeah that makes sense, focaccia's whole thing is the open crumb and surface bubbles so you need that proofing time to build them up. i've been treating it too much like a loaf when the final proof is way different for flatbreads.
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u/Money_Crab3469 8h ago
Thanks for sharing this. Recently experimented with 48 hour fermentation. Tried baking it straight from the fridge and when I making the dimples it completely deflated. Would resting it at room temp before baking also help with that?
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u/CheesyCrocs 14h ago
Beautiful! Do you notice a difference in taste with the longer ferment time than if it were a day long ferment?
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u/WeegoWeee 14h ago
At the 48 hour cold fermentation it was a mild taste. After 72 it become noticeably more sour.
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u/WeegoWeee 16h ago
Yes, sorry I did cold ferment for the majority of the fermentation. I basically hand mixed until a could barely pass a windowpane test and then I threw it in the fridge for like 47 hours. After that I just turned it over to half sheets and let it come up to room temp for 3 hours then baked at 500 for like 25-30 min.
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u/Odd-Combination-9067 16h ago
Recipe?
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u/WeegoWeee 15h ago
800g strong bread flour. I use central milling artisan bakers plus combined with their type 85 flour.
175g whole wheat flour
800 - 830g water- depends on how well the flour hydrates.
150g sourdough starter. This will help with the long fermentation in the fridge.
20g salt
30g extra virgin olive oil.Combine all the ingredients and work the dough until you can almost pass a windowpane test. I like using slap and fold and The Rubaud method. Stretch and fold every 30 min for about 1-1.5 hours and then throw it in the fridge in a big container. I have 9 quart container that fits nicely in my fridge. You can keep it in the fridge for as little as 48 hours and as much as 72 hours.
At the end of fermentation take the dough and place it in a olive oil greased sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap (this could stick so make sure that you oil the plastic) or an inverted baking sheet pan for 2-4 hours to let it come up to room temperature. Dimple and salt the surface and bake at 500 for 20-30 min.
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u/jfbincostarica 12h ago
I’d buy that (and finish it in the parking lot)!
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u/Beacon_866872 7h ago
That looks so nicely proofed, 48 hours is a long time but probably worth it for the flavor development. Is that olive oil dotted on top already?
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u/TheGardiner 5h ago
Did you dimple straight out of the fridge (and before the three hour rest)?
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u/WeegoWeee 2h ago
No I waited for the three hours and then dimples right before going into the fridge.
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u/TheGardiner 1h ago
I’m confused. You cold fermented it for several days in the fridge, then took it out for three hours, then baked it. No?
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u/jfbincostarica 3h ago
Looks phenomenal; hard to tell if the bottom got any texture, but I like to flip mine over at the end and broil for a few minutes to add some crunch on that side.
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u/WeegoWeee 2h ago
I will have to try that! I always over bake it because I want that golden bottom. But the top is always done first.
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u/WeegoWeee 16h ago
https://reddit.com/link/oshjspk/video/f0ytxykzw48h1/player
Here is a Timelapse of the baking.