Print
Email
After mixing the dough, our recipes only require two hours at room temperature for their initial rise (assuming you’ve used lukewarm water); then the container goes into the refrigerator where it can be stored for up to two weeks (depending on the recipe). Occasionally, we’ll forget about a batch and leave it out overnight. We’ve found that this has little effect on the final result, maybe just shortens the batch life by a day or two.
So don’t throw out that good dough if you forget about it overnight!
OK, so the unrefrigerated resting time is half that of the refrigerated resting time when using fresh, unrefrigerated dough. That’s very helpful. The fact that you’re still involved answering emails and helping your fans speaks volumes about your commitment to helping people make healthful, fresh, non-processed (not to mention delicious) food, and not just selling books. Thanks for being available to all of us fans!
Hi Dean,
Thank you for the lovely note! Have a great weekend!
Cheers, Zoë
Hello! Does this also apply to brioche dough, which has raw egg in it? I’ve left a batch out (because it has risen, but hasn’t fallen yet) for about 3 1/2 hours. Is it still safe to use?
Hi Chris,
Yes, the dough will be just fine to use. You don’t want to leave brioche out overnight, but an extra hour or so will not ruin it. I know this, because I have done it on several occasions. For next time, you can put it in the refrigerator after the first two hours and allow it to finish rising in the refrigerator.
Thanks, Zoë
The brioche turned out great, and the second loaf is in the oven as I type. Thank you so much!
Hi Chris,
So glad to hear it! Thanks for the note!
Cheers, Zoë
I don’t know if this is the right place to ask, but feel free to delete my message and email me or send me a facebook message.
I have a very small refridgerator and the bucket just WON’T fit. My first floor is basically the basement with minimal heating. Off of the living room, I’ve got an unheated furnace room with one small window and some space to spare. If I don’t think it will go below freezing (or for not very long if it does) can I put the bucket of dough during the autumn and wintertime? I’ve got four kids and being able to make full (or double!) bathes of dough would help me a whole lot!!!
Thank you so much,
Sandra
Hi Sandra,
it will really depend on how cool your room gets. If it is too warm the yeast will stay too active and lose rising power quickly. If it is too cold it will freeze, but then you can just defrost it. You really shouldn’t do this with any dough that has eggs or dairy!
Thanks, Zoë
Okay so I mixed up this pesto roll dough and didn’t put it in the fridge….oops! It has milk, eggs, and butter in it. Can I still use it?
Gigi: No one really knows; USDA is the most conservative, see what they say:
U.S. Department of Agriculture Fact Sheet. Egg Products Preparation: Shell Eggs from Farm to Table. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/focus_on_shell_eggs/index.asp
Scroll down for the out-of-fridge time for eggs. Don’t know what to tell people other than that.
Keep your room temperature in mind. My unheated kitchen is FREEZING cold and I wouldn’t hesitate to use it, but I can’t let dough rise without turning on the oven (or the heat!) to warm it up.
Thanks for the reminder Sandra…
How and when do I replenish the first batch of dough after having used part of it, say half. Do I just add flour and water like in sour dough or doI add yeast as well?
Confused, Alitu, which recipe are you using, which of our books/recipe/page number?
i’m trying your recipe for the first time (whole wheat bread in 5 mins book),and in my rush – I misread the directions. I let my dough sit in a room temperature kitchen from Friday evening to Sunday evening – about 2 days — not two hours or overnight. I did put the dough in the refrigerator and headed to your blog to find out what to do. Do I need to toss – add more yeast – or what? Laughing Out Loud in Texas! Please tell me what you would do. Thanks!
Hi Mary,
If the dough has eggs or other dairy then I’m sorry to say that you’ll need to toss it. If the dough is just flour, water, yeast and salt, then you can still use it. The yeast has probably been very active over that time, so you may have lost some of its rising power, but it should still work. Even if you just stir a bit of flour into the dough, just a tablespoon or two, it will feed the yeast and get it going again.
Thanks, Zoë
Thanks Zoe! No eggs in this batch, so I’ll just add flour and see what happens. One more question — sorry. If I want to make a sub sandwich roll for my son’s lunch – how many ounces (or size equivalent) should the piece I take from the master batch be and could I still shape it basically the same? Thanks so much for your assistance. Love, Love your book – and am ready to do try several of your recipes.
Baked some of the batch tonight. It tasted great. Dense but not overly dense. Was moist. Made three small torpedos for my son’s lunch. He’ll have the final say on taste and texture. Thanks for help.
Great Mary,
Hope he enjoys them!
Cheers, Zoë
If you didn’t have eggs in it I think your fine. I have left mine out and seen recipes where you are supposed to leave it out for 24 hours. I don’t think the extra time will hurt it. It will probably be a somewhat sour taste like sourdough.
Thanks Heather. I love sourdough bread, so maybe this will turn out to be a good thing.
LOVE your books! I feel like I’m cheating! I’ve been baking my way through the Healthy Bread in 5 book (much to the enjoyment of my friends and family!) and am always trying to keep things as ‘light’ as possible – yes you can follow Weight Watchers and eat delicious bread!
I recently made the Maple Oatmeal Bread in the Health Bread in 5 book but omitted the oil (truth be told it wasn’t really on purpose) but having baked up one large and one small loaf of it, I’m wondering if I’m really missing anything – what was it’s purpose?
The bread was a bit dense – but pretty lighter than other recipes with soaked oats that I’ve made in the past – and other than having the plastic wrap stick the first time around (the 2nd time I sprayed the wrap w/ canola oil while it was rising) I really don’t think we’re missing anything, other than a few hundred calories & fat grams… just curious as to it’s need…
Thanks again for the great books – after my first batch I was pretty sure I’d never be buying bread again!
Hi Mary Lou,
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes. If you enjoy the oat bread without the oil, then who are we to say it has to be in there.
The oil will change the texture of the bread, its a bit more tender. But, if you prefer to reduce the calories from fats, then by all means keep on making it this way.
Cheers, Zoë
Thanks!! I do like to make it as directed first – especially when I give a lot of it away – often without testing first (that’s how much I trust you!
but in the end it seemed no harm no foul…
And sorry for posting on the wrong thread – got to clicking around and lost track of where I was …