1,504 easy and fully explained recipes, with +66K photos and 78 videos

This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...

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.

7,247 4.9/5 (17 reviews)

Keywords for this post:Bread Fermentation Long Time Baking Taste Leaven Yeast Rest

Last modified on: April 13^th 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

Always secure your cutting board

When using a cutting board, it's very important that it's stable and doesn't move while you're cutting, for safety's sake. Boards have a natural tendency to slide on the work surface, but here are 2 ways to block them effectively.
July 1^st 20255625

Cherry clafoutis, with or without pits?

When it comes to cherry clafoutis recipes, there's often a camp of those who argue that you absolutely have to leave the stones in because it tastes better, and the other camp (myself included) who prefer cherries without stones, which makes a much more pleasant clafoutis to eat. But is it true...
June 29^th 20256935

Should potatoes be washed twice?

Let's say you have to make a recipe that includes potatoes, let's say sliced, you'll most likely proceed as follows: Peel the potatoes, wash them, slice them, wash them again, pat them dry and add them to your recipe. But there's a "but": depending on the recipe, the second washing may be a bad...
May 19^th 20252,300 15

Grilled bacon is much better in the oven

Some recipes call for thin slices of bacon to be cooked and added to the recipe, or to prepare one of those delicious breakfasts known as "à l'Anglaise".
April 25^th 20252,0635

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 10^th 20252,3795

See all posts Random post RSS feeds

Other pages you may also like

Sugar syrups

In cooking, and especially in pastry, we often use sugar syrups, a simple mixture of water and sugar in varying proportions. Here is a presentation of their differences. .
January 17^th 20239,1004.8

A few tips for effective kneading at home

When you have to knead dough for bread or some other recipe, you may well use a food processor or the type of machine known as a stand mixer. The best-known brands are Kenwood and KitchenAid. They are useful tools, but here are a few tips to help you get the best out of them.
June 23^th 2021277 K 23.7

Is it really necessary to cream egg yolks?

Let’s try and answer a question that crops up in cookery and patisserie, even if it verges on the existential: do the egg yolks in a custard recipe really need to be beaten until pale, or not?
February 28^th 201841 K4.3

Brioche for a savoury recipe

When we make brioche, it is generally sweet, that is to say that in the dough there is sugar or honey or dried or candied fruits, or even sometimes the 3 together. It's normal, it's very good, it's a pastry. But you may also need brioche for a savoury dish, like a sausage or a sausage in brioche...
June 30^th 201911 K4.9

The skin side of the fish first?

When it comes to cooking fresh fish, if it's filleted with its skin on and you're planning to pan-fry it in a little olive oil, for example, you might ask yourself the following question: Which side, skin or flesh, should come into contact with the pan first?
February 13^th 202123 K4.4