Making bread

[PrettyCandles]

I want to take home-made bread dough to my mum's house on Saturday and bake it there for our lunch. We have to leave early on Saturday morning, and should arrive in time to bake it but not in time to knock back, shape and prove it.

What's the best way of going about this? When should I prepare the dough? Should I put it in the fridge overnight before or after the first proving? Can I part-bake it?

What if plans change at the last minute and we end up having my bread for supper instead of lunch? Would whatever I do with the dough be 'future-proof'?

I would make the dough on Friday morning and put it in the fridge in its final tin/shape to rise super-slowly. I would take it out probably first thing on Sat, and would bake it on arrival without bothering with a proving stage (I frequently don't).

If you are putting it in a tin, I woul definitely grease it really well even if non-stick. My fave at the mo is putting rolls into muffin tins, getting lovely muffin-shaped rolls at the end of it

DOugh will last ages as long as you keep knocking it back.

I regularly keep it going all day, knocking back a couple of times. I am disorganised but bread dough is very forgiving.

If you put itt in the fridge it will take a while to warm up and become active again...several hours at least.

I would take dough, knock back and shape. It will take almost as long for the oven to heat up as dfor the bread to rise. 40 mins shouuld be plenty imo.

Or bake the bread the day before. Sprinkle it with water and put in a hot oven to refresh. It will be like new.

Agree with the knocking it back and letting it re-rise. If you don't, however, and just keep letting it rise, any sudden movement after about an hour could result in it just deflating which would not produce such a pleasing looking loaf.

Thanks.

I think on the whole it might be better to bake Friday and refresh on Saturday.

I didn't know that you could keep knocking-back. Opens up all sorts of possibilities...

It does...I frequntly go out leaving bread to prove and take longer than I plan, and just knock back again and t'is fine (better infact...multiple rising improves flavour, texture and nutition apparently) or keep a bit of dough back for pizza etc the next day.

Hope it goes down well.