How To Store Sourdough Dough in the Fridge
Many new sourdough bakers wonder how long sourdough dough can stay in the fridge. Whether you are making a beginner’s no-knead sourdough, sourdough sandwich bread, or your other favorite recipe, it can chill (literally) for a few days before baking.
Servings: 1 recipe
Calories: 1500kcal
Equipment
- Bowl, banneton, or baking dish depending on the recipe
- Lid or plastic wrap
Ingredients
- Bulk-fermented sourdough dough
Instructions
- Make the dough and follow the recipe instructions through the bulk fermentation.Bulk-fermented sourdough dough
- After the bulk ferment, prepare the dough for cold proofing:• No Knead Bread: Shape and place in a prepared banneton.• Sandwich Bread and Rolls: Shape and place in a prepared baking dish.• Buns: To save space in the fridge, skip shaping and proceed with Step 3.• Rolled Dough: Skip shaping and proceed with Step 3.
- Cover the bowl, baking dish, or container with plastic wrap or an airtight lid (I usually use a plastic bag).
- Refrigerate for 24-72 hours (up to 3 days) before baking.
- Resume the recipe instructions when you are ready to bake.Keep in mind that cold dough will take longer to proof and/or bake, so allot extra time to finish the recipe.
Notes
- For accurate nutrition, refer to the recipe used.
- For the best balance of flavor and oven spring, aim for 24 to 48 hours.
- Up to 3 days is usually fine, but quality may begin to decline after that.
- Enriched doughs like sourdough burger buns, my sourdough donut recipe, or other doughs with ingredients like eggs, butter, and sugar, don’t ferment as quickly and can last longer in the fridge.
- Make sure the dough is tightly covered so the air doesn’t dry it out. You can also lightly oil the top of the dough to prevent it from drying out.
- If your sourdough bread is too sour, reduce the amount of time you keep the dough in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 1loaf | Calories: 1500kcal
