Bulk fermentation
Bulk fermentation is the first rise, when bread dough ferments in one mass before shaping. It builds flavor and strength. Here is how to judge it.
Also called Bulk rise, First rise, Bulk ferment.
Bulk fermentation is the first rise of a bread dough, after mixing and before you divide and shape it. The whole batch ferments together in one bowl or tub. This is when most of the bread's flavor and structure develop. The second rise, after shaping, is called the proof.
How to do it
- Put the mixed dough in a lightly oiled bowl or a straight-sided tub. Mark the starting level with tape so you can see how much it grows.
- Cover it to stop a skin forming.
- Keep it somewhere warm, ideally 24 to 26°C (75 to 79°F).
- For wet doughs, give it sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes during the first 1 to 2 hours.
- Leave it alone for the rest of the time until it is ready.
A yeasted dough at warm room temperature usually needs 1 to 2 hours. A sourdough usually needs 4 to 6 hours or more. Cooler kitchens take longer.
How to tell it is done
- The dough has grown by the amount the recipe asks for. Yeasted doughs often double in size. Sourdough often grows 50 to 75 percent.
- The top is domed and you can see bubbles on the sides and surface.
- The dough feels airy and wobbles when you shake the bowl.
- It smells pleasantly sour or like beer.
Why it works
Yeast eats sugars in the flour and gives off carbon dioxide and alcohol. The gas fills the gluten network like small balloons. Bacteria, mostly in sourdough, make acids that add flavor. Time also lets the gluten relax and get stronger, so the loaf holds its shape later.
Common mistakes
- Following the clock instead of the dough. Temperature changes the timing a lot. Watch for the signs above.
- Under-fermenting. The loaf comes out dense with a few large holes under the crust.
- Over-fermenting. The dough turns slack, sticky and sour, and the loaf spreads flat.
In recipes
"Let rise until doubled" usually refers to bulk fermentation. "Retard the bulk" means doing it in the fridge, which slows it down and gives more flavor.
Related terms
- ProofTo proof is to let shaped dough rise one last time before baking. Use the poke test to tell when bread is ready, underproofed or overproofed.
- FoldTo fold is to combine a light mix, like whipped cream or egg whites, into a heavier one without losing air. It also means stretching dough in bread making.
- Until doubled in sizeUntil doubled in size means let yeast dough rise until it is twice as big as when you started. Here is how to judge it and why the clock is only a guide.
- Sourdough starterA sourdough starter is a fed mix of flour and water full of wild yeast and bacteria that leavens bread. Here is how to make, feed and store one.
- Punch downTo punch down is to press the gas out of risen bread dough before shaping. It evens out the bubbles and the yeast. Here is how to do it gently.
- FermentationFermentation is when yeasts or bacteria break down sugars and change food. It raises bread, sours sauerkraut and yogurt, and makes wine and miso.