Minimalist Bread Refrigerated Dough Experiment Lab
Although I've been sharing recipes for many years and can barely qualify as someone who knows how to bake, I have never been good at making bread. My techniques are amateurish, and I don’t fully understand the principles behind it. I have two bread recipes that have luckily entered the Honor Hall of Xiachufang, but they were adaptations, and both used the 'no-knead bread' method, which shows the extent of my aspirations and abilities. When I see other bread recipes discussing 'hydration rate' and other theories from a scientific perspective, I truly admire it because I lack such dedication. I even get headaches just reading terms like 'biga', 'tangzhong', 'levain', etc. So, does someone lazy and unmotivated like me have no right to make bread? Of course not! I also want to enjoy freshly baked bread effortlessly, especially the kind that can be baked whenever I feel like it. This recipe is based on the practice of Mai Kotoyo's book "Simple Baking". The main content of this book revolves around four types of low-temperature refrigerated fermenting dough, and various breads derived from these doughs. It is particularly suitable for bread beginners. To sum it up: using a simple method to knead a basic dough, refrigerating it for at least 8 hours, then dividing, shaping, and baking portions of the dough daily over 3–5 days. The core content of this book can actually be explained in a single recipe as the four types of dough are quite similar. I humbly consolidated them into one for reference. All the images in the recipe were taken by myself, and the texts were also written based on my understanding and interpretation. The formulas and inspirations behind some small breads are derived from "Simple Baking", and hereby noted.
Ingredients
Steps
This recipe uses [Type ① - Basic Dough] as an example, which I believe is the most versatile dough. It does not contain fat, making it very healthy, and can be made into savory or sweet breads. Put all the ingredients of [Basic Dough] together (if making a fat-containing dough, olive oil or butter should be kneaded in at the final stage).
Mix and stir.
Continue stirring with a spatula until it becomes a rough dough.
Start handling it with your hands. Fold and press the dough with your fingers or palm.
In less than two minutes, you can knead it to a state where it doesn’t stick to your hands. Shape it round, with a rough surface, and you're done. Kneading it longer would make it better.
At this point, "Simple Baking" offers two options: Option ①—Refrigerate the entire dough immediately and ferment overnight, shaping and baking as required later. Option ②—Allow it to relax for 10 minutes, then shape portions before refrigeration. I chose Option ① and added my own third method. Stay tuned!
Coat the inside of the storage box with oil, place the dough smooth-side down, cover the box, and refrigerate.
Refrigerate for at least eight hours until the dough grows 1.5–2 times in size. Low-temperature fermentation substitutes time for effort, compensating for a lack of kneading. The dough can be stored refrigerated for 3–5 days for convenient portions every day.
This photo shows the dough after 12 hours of refrigeration.
This photo shows the dough after over 24 hours of refrigeration. It’s perfectly fine even after two days, provided it’s used within 5 days if egg/vegetables are not included.
Now you have a lovely dough weighing around 450g. I prefer dividing it into three 150g portions used over three instances. Shape and refrigerate unused portions in a round form.
Even though my technique is amateurish, I rounded the leftover dough using basic folding and smoothing methods.
Place it in the storage box, cover and refrigerate. Use it within 3–5 days to avoid sourness.
Extract 150g without warming and shape into a round form.
Roll it tightly into a smooth round sphere. Sprinkle flour lightly if too sticky. Shaping technique is optional.
My rolling isn’t smooth, but it's okay! No pressure, just enjoy the process!
Use to make cinnamon buns—roll, butter, sugar, cinnamon sprinkle.