Overproofed is when the dough has rested too long and the yeast has continued making carbon dioxide while the strength of the dough (gluten bonds) have begun to wear out. The dough will look very puffy, but when you touch it or move it you may notice it deflate or sag.
Deflate and reshape your over-proofed dough
First, deflate the dough. It actually feels kind of satisfying to press all that air out; you know, like you're breaking the rules and getting away with it. Next, reshape the dough into a loaf. Place it in its pan.
Similar to the signs of over proofed dough, an over proofed loaf will be very flat, without much rise or retention of shaping. Over proofing destroys the structural integrity of the bread, so loaves that have gone over are unable to hold their shape in the oven.
Good news! While over-proofed dough may contain high levels of phytic acid, it doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't safe to eat. If consumed in very small amounts over a long period of time, over-proofed dough should not pose a significant health risk.
Because stand mixers produce faster results, it's easy to overdo it. The overworked dough will often feel tight and tough. This means that liquid molecules have been damaged and won't stretch properly, causing the bread to break and tear more easily.
The dough should generally be proofed for around 1 to 4 hours at a warm temperature or overnight (or more) at a cold refrigerator temperature. As the proofing temperature increases, the total fermentation time will decrease.
Overproofed sourdough is preventable but also salvageable. Reshape the dough, bake it as a pizza or flatbread dough, or bake it and turn it into breadcrumbs for granola.
The good news: We found an easy way to rescue overproofed dough. Simply punch it down gently, reshape it, and let it proof again for the recommended amount of time. In the test kitchen, these steps resulted in bread that tasters found acceptable in both texture and flavor.
Thankfully, the over-proofed dough can be fixed! Remove the dough from the proofing bowl and firmly press down on the dough to degas it. Once all the bubbles of air have been removed, you can now reshape your dough. Place the reshaped dough into a loaf pan and leave it to proof again.
Can dough sit too long? If dough is left to rise for too long, it will cause issues with the taste and appearance of the bread. Excess fermentation occurring in either the first or second rise can lead to a sour, unpleasant taste if the dough gets left for a long time. Over-proofed loaves have a gummy or dense texture.
The crumb is gummy and can be undercooked in places because of the density. This is the most common type of crumb beginners make (myself included). Overproofed — the last one — didn't get any oven spring, so it's quite flat, and you can see that all the bigger bubbles collapsed, leaving only smaller ones.
If the dough springs back right away, it needs more proofing. But if it springs back slowly and leaves a small indent, it's ready to bake. Here's why the test works : The dough is essentially a collection of air bubbles contained by a network of gluten.
If the dough springs back right away (it's saying, “Hey, why'd you do that!”), let it rise for a few more minutes. If the dough springs back slowly, like it's waking up from a long nap, and your prod leaves a small indentation, it's ready to go.
The second proving has given the bread more elasticity, and made it harder to deflate the air. Second rises may add significantly to the total time it takes to complete a loaf of bread, but the step can be essential to achieving the taste and texture inherent to a number of popular breads.
Can I leave my bread to rise overnight? Yes, you can let your bread rise overnight in the fridge. Keep in mind, though, you'll want the dough to come back up to room temperature before baking.
It is possible to leave bread dough to rise overnight. This needs to be done in the refrigerator to prevent over-fermentation and doughs with an overnight rise will often have a stronger more yeasty flavour which some people prefer.
Does Rising Bread Affect Its Texture? For a fluffy bread texture, the key is to let the bread rise long enough.
If the dough doesn't spring back when pressed with a finger, or tears when you pull it, it needs more kneading. If it springs back immediately when lightly pressed, and doesn't tear when you pull it, it's been kneaded enough and is ready to rise.
If you take the dough out of the fridge and its texture is diminished or it is exceptionally dry feeling, with a crusty appearance, it's probably past its prime. Put it in the bin. Pizza dough that has a grey color, rather than a fresh white or beige one, or dough that has flecks of grey, is also likely spoiled.
Mold [2] on cookie dough often appears as a fuzzy, green, or black substance on the surface of the dough. It is usually found in small spots or patches but can sometimes cover the entire dough. The color of the mold can vary depending on the type of mold, but it is generally an unpleasant sight.
Overkneaded dough will be tough and make tough, chewy bread. If you've kneaded by hand, you don't need to be too worried about overworked dough—you'll start to notice it getting difficult to manage. It takes a lot of elbow grease to knead bread dough; you'll likely tire yourself out before you can over-knead.
Generally, you should do it before rising, although you can knead the dough before and after it rises. Kneading is the process of mixing ingredients and developing strength in the finished product. After the first proof, you can perform this step to remove bubbles and spread gas on the dough.