Anyone who has baked homemade bread before knows that proofing the bread is an essential stage in the process. As the yeast produces carbon dioxide, Sourhouse Bread & Pastries explains, the dough increases in size until it nearly doubles in volume, ultimately giving the bread both its height and airiness. If you try to rush proofing, things wont go so well.
In fact, Challenger Breadware notes that rushing proofing with result in your bread having a much tighter crumb and uneven air pockets. This equates to bread that is gluey instead of soft and fluffy. You may assume therefore that the longer you proof the bread, the better it will turn out, but the truth is, thats not the case.
When dough is overproofed, Sourhouse Bread & Pastries shares, it means that the dough doesnt have any more yeast or sugar to feed off. Then instead of a bread with a perfect crumb structure, youll end up with one that is no better than one made with underproofed dough.
Luckily, theres an easy way to tell when your dough is done proofing. Dont worry, you dont need a special tool to measure this quantity.
Dough that has an alcohol smell is completely normal and in-fact, it is a natural fermenting process of the yeast. Over fermenting can happen which is a result of the fermented yeast turning sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. If the dough has a sour taste, it has gone bad.
Although I love making bread and do it often, two nights ago I made Jim Laheys no knead pizza dough. We didnt end up making pizza that night so it sat out (of the fridge) for another evening. Smelling it now, it has a hard-alcohol smell. I baked a little of the dough off yesterday and it was just fine. Im just wondering if anyone has experienced this before?
Overproofed dough has a particular smell
Sometimes, bread dough gets overproofed because it rests for too long. Although some bakers will know this routine better than others, proofing can sometimes be a difficult balancing act. The specific duration each bread requires actually depends on the type of bread youre making and a number of other variables, including the temperature of your kitchen. As a result, the best way to tell when your bread is done proofing is by the look and smell.
According to Food Network, dough thats ready for baking will be about 50% larger than its original size. To keep track of how much it has grown, the outlet recommends initially covering the unproofed dough in plastic wrap, then marking the plastic with a marker to outline the dough. If the dough is overproofed, it will spill over the outline by more than double. For most situations, this is a decent test of the proofing quality. However, theres an even better answer available if you use another of your five senses.
A much more reliable indicator is the smell of the dough. Apollonia Poilâne, who runs the famous French bakery Poilâne, shared with MasterClass that properly proofed dough should never have an alcoholic smell. If you start to get even a whiff of an alcoholic substance, you should immediately cease proofing.
OVER FERMENTED DOUGH – The Signs and Consequences for your SOURDOUGH
FAQ
What happens if dough smells like alcohol?
What does spoiled dough smell like?
Can you eat bread that smells like acetone?
Why does my dough smell like beer?
Many experienced bakers say that this smell resembles the smell of beer. If your dough has this distinctive odor, then it is probably over-proofed. The reason your dough may have this odor is that the yeast in the dough converts the sugars into both carbon dioxide and alcohol.
Why does pizza dough smell like alcohol?
The most common reason why pizza dough smells like alcohol is because it was left to proof for too long at too high of a temperature or contains too much yeast. As time goes on, the yeast in your dough will consume more and more sugars and produce more and more alcohol as a by-product. This process is accelerated at higher temperatures.
How do you know if dough is over proofed?
When trying to tell whether the dough has over prooved, we use our senses and we judge the dough by taste and smell. One of the major signs of over proofed dough is the smell. If your dough smells a bit like alcohol (many people said the smells resembles beer), then you have probably over proofed it.
Is it safe to eat bread that smells like alcohol?
Bread that smells like alcohol is perfectly safe to eat. Alcohol is produced via the yeasts fermentation process, which is the reason behind this particular smell. Once this dough is baked in your oven, the smell usually disappears. But if excessive amounts of alcohol were produced by the yeast an alcoholic aroma will linger.