The long fermentation of bread


The long fermentation of bread
I had already told you in a previous article about the delicious little alchemy that happens when we make bread, let's try to go a little further this time, and try to discover what makes a good bread, in other words, which has taste.
6,728 4.9/5 (17 reviews)
Grade this page:
Keywords for this post:BreadFermentationLongTimeBakingTasteLeavenYeastRest
Last modified on: April 13th 2023
For this post: Comment Follow Send to a friend
The long fermentation of bread
So I detailed how, from a simple mixture of flour, water, salt and a little yeast or leaven, we obtain this extraordinary food that is bread. It is already something almost magical, but what is the secret of the breads that have taste vs those that are bland?

Curiously enough, the recipe doesn't change much, it's always the same ingredients, in varying proportions, but we always stay with the flour-water-salt-yeast mixture.

baguettes en fermentation longue

But then, what makes the bread taste good?

It's all a question of fermentation time. Its main purpose is always that the yeasts transform part of the starch of the flour and produce CO2 that will form the crumb, but this can be done quickly or not.
And precisely if it is done slowly, or even very slowly, the production of CO2 is still done, but in addition the dough of the future bread develops, very slowly, particular aromas which will be revealed during the cooking.

As a general rule, the longer the fermentation, the better the bread will taste, and this without really changing its appearance. In other words, a bread with a quick fermentation and a bread with a long fermentation will look pretty much the same. If you are not a baker, it will be hard to tell the difference.

And yet this is where the distinction is made:
- On the one hand a baguette kneaded and made in a hurry, in an industrial bakery or at a mediocre baker's, with a lot of yeast, and a fermentation accelerated by a stay in the heat in 1 or 2 hours => A rather bland, neutral baguette.
- On the other hand, a baguette kneaded slowly and fermented slowly in the cold for 24 or 48 hours, sometimes more => A baguette full of taste and aroma, a delight.

You will have guessed it, there is of course an economic aspect to this difference, to make a baguette in long fermentation takes more time and costs more than a baguette "express", but we are really not on the same product, even if they can be similar.

Here is one of the secrets of good bread, it takes time (and love of course), and a good part of this time is dedicated to the fermentation of the dough, it is the magic moment where the savors and aromas are formed.

Lasts posts
The thermometer is your friend
The thermometer is your friend
There are many recipes or foods that require a (very) precise cooking temperature: foie gras, sugar for caramel, meats and fish, and not forgetting pastries. For these few examples, getting the cooking temperature wrong can spoil the whole recipe or dish: undercooked, it's no good or misses the...
April 10th 20251,2055
Travel cakes
Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.
January 27th 20252,875
The aromatic power of sugar
The aromatic power of sugar
In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...
December 25th 20243,2915
The little trap of thick cream
The little trap of thick cream
When you need to add cream to a recipe, you might be wondering: thick (heavy) cream or liquid cream? In most cases, there's no big difference: you can use either. But there is one exception, and that's when the cream needs to be cooked, for a sauce for example, and here the difference between...
December 13th 20243,4695
Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?
Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?
When dressing a salad, there's a kind of golden rule: add the dressing very shortly before serving, especially if your salad contains crunchy elements such as croutons or fresh vegetables, which will retain their crunchiness or crispiness. But, as is often the case in the kitchen, there are...
November 29th 20243,5865

Other pages you may also like
Artichoke stalks
Artichoke stalks
When preparing artichokes for cooking, you may well already know that we often need to remove the first round of leaves, if they are tatty or dirty, as well as the inedible stalk. The operative word here is “remove” , rather than “cut off”.
October 25th 201650 K4.3
The right weight of pastry for a pie
The right weight of pastry for a pie
Let's try to solve a thorny problem: How much dough will I need when I make my next pie? You're planning to make a pie, you're going to use your favourite mould or circle, but how much pastry will you need to fill it completely with a well spread pastry, without being too thin, or on the contrary...
March 20th 202062 K4.3
The green of leeks
The green of leeks
We are all, consciously or not, very sensitive to the colour of our food. That's why a red strawberry will always seem more appetizing than a pale one, even if it's not necessarily true. This is true for red, but it is also true for the green of certain vegetables.
March 30th 202017 K4.0
How to properly roll out a pie crust?
How to properly roll out a pie crust?
Very often in pastry making, you have to roll out a pastry before using it for a pie or another dessert. At home, of course, you get out your rolling pin and simply roll it out. Is there a way to get an evenly rolled out dough? That's what we will see in this article.
May 10th 20236,7954.9
Tranché, dissociated, failed, in short... missed!
Tranché, dissociated, failed, in short... missed!
When preparing a sauce or a cream, there's always a (small) risk that the creamy preparation you're working on will suddenly separate into two parts of different textures: a liquid part, for example, and a more or less solid part, or even become lumpy. It's terribly frustrating, but we'll see...
June 19th 20238,5515
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing

Follow this page (as 2 people already do)
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page