Refrigerator Artisan Bread Dough

Before you start

This is a make-ahead dough rather than a single loaf. You stir flour, water, yeast and salt in a large container, let it rise on the counter, then keep it in the refrigerator. Whenever you want bread, you pull off a piece, shape it quickly, let it warm up and bake it on a hot stone with steam.

The dough is wet and the yeast is generous, so it rises fast and then slows in the cold. Over the following days the flavor deepens and turns gently tangy, a little like sourdough. Do not punch it down or knead it; handle it lightly so the bubbles survive. The lid should sit loosely, because the dough keeps giving off gas in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 680 ml (2¾ cups + 2 tbsp) lukewarm water — about 38°C (100°F)
• 14 g (1½ tbsp) instant yeast
• 18 g (1 tbsp) fine salt
• 900 g (7½ cups) all-purpose flour — spooned and leveled
• as needed cornmeal or flour — for the peel

Method

1. Pour the lukewarm water into the container. Add the yeast and salt, then all the flour. Stir with a spoon or dough whisk until everything is evenly wet and no dry patches remain. Do not knead.
2. Cover loosely (leave the lid cracked or poke a small hole) and leave at room temperature for about 2 hours, until the dough rises and starts to flatten on top.
3. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before using. The dough keeps for up to 10 days; it becomes more sour and a little looser as the days pass.
4. To bake, dust the surface of the chilled dough with flour and cut off a 400 g piece with a serrated knife. Return the rest to the fridge.
5. Holding the piece in floured hands, stretch the surface around to the bottom on all sides, rotating as you go, to form a smooth ball in 30 to 40 seconds. The bottom will look bunched; that is fine.
6. Set it on a peel dusted with cornmeal and let it rest uncovered for 40 to 60 minutes. It will spread more than rise. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 230°C (450°F) with the stone on the middle rack and the broiler pan on the bottom rack.
7. Dust the top with flour and cut a cross or a few parallel slashes about 1 cm (½ in) deep. Slide the loaf onto the stone, pour 240 ml (1 cup) hot water into the broiler pan, and close the door at once.
8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is deep brown and firm and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack for about 45 minutes before slicing.

Tips for success

• Weigh the flour. Measured by volume, 900 g can easily turn into 1 kg, which makes a stiff dough that rises poorly in the fridge.
• Dough from day 1 bakes up mild and lofty; dough from day 7 onward is tangier and spreads more, which suits flatbreads and pizzas.
• If the dough is too soft to shape, chill it longer. Cold dough is firmer and less sticky.

Substitutions

All-purpose flour

Bread flour makes a chewier loaf; add 30 ml (2 tbsp) more water because it absorbs more. Replacing up to 200 g with whole wheat gives a heartier dough that needs about 30 ml extra water.

Instant yeast

Active dry yeast works at the same amount. The first rise may take 15 to 30 minutes longer.

Baking stone

Bake on a preheated, upside-down heavy baking sheet. The bottom crust will be a little softer.

Variations

Quick pizza crust

Roll 225 g of dough thin, top lightly and bake on the stone at 260°C (500°F) for 8 to 10 minutes.

Pan loaf

Shape 700 g of dough into an oval, place it in a greased 21 x 11 cm (8½ x 4½ in) pan, rest 90 minutes and bake at 220°C (425°F) for 45 to 50 minutes.

Troubleshooting

The loaf is dense with a gummy center

It was underbaked or cut warm. Bake until deep brown, check for 96°C (205°F) inside and cool fully.

The dough smells strongly of alcohol

That is normal after about a week. If it is gray, slimy or has fuzzy mold, discard it.

The loaf spread flat on the peel

The dough is late in its life or the ball was not tight. Use fresher dough for round loaves, or bake older dough in a loaf pan.

Storage

Keep the dough refrigerated at 4°C (40°F) or below for up to 10 days, loosely covered. Baked loaves keep at room temperature for 1 to 2 days. You can also freeze 400 g portions of dough for up to 4 weeks; thaw overnight in the fridge.

Safety notes

Raw dough contains uncooked flour and should not be tasted. Keep the refrigerator at 4°C (40°F) or below. Contains wheat.