Final Proofing

Final Proofing is the step after final shaping. Final proof is also known as the “second rise” where you let the dough continue to ferment and rise after shaping and before baking. 

In final proofing, the yeast is past its peak and the rise will tend to be slower and less visible than in bulk fermentation. 

There are two options for final proofing: 

1. Countertop Final Proof
2. Refrigerator Cold Retard

Countertop Final Proof – In a countertop final proof, the dough is left covered, in the shaping baskets for the second rise. At room temperature, this process can take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours.  The timing is dependent upon the dough temperature, the room temperature, and how far along the loaf is in the fermentation process. 

If the dough temperature is very warm, for example 80F/27C, the dough will continue to ferment quickly and may only take 1-2 hours to final proof.  The room temperature is important because the dough temperature will eventually equalize with the room temperature.  The speed of fermentation is controlled by the dough temperature, which is influenced by the room temperature.  

Lastly, if the dough completed bulk fermentation early in the rising process (e.g., 30% rise) it will go into final proofing with a lot of remaining energy and it may final proof quickly.  If the dough finished bulk fermentation with a tall rise (e.g., 50% or more), the dough may be past its peak rise and will final proof more slowly.  This is dependent upon many factors, but it is a good practice to ask yourself, “how far along is my dough and will it final proof quickly or slowly,” based on the factors outlined above. 

The Poke Test – When doing a countertop final proof, the dough is ready for baking when it passes the “poke test.”  As the dough is final proofing you will see the loaf start to inflate.  To do the poke test, flour your finger and press an indentation into the dough.  If it springs back immediately, it is still underproofed and not yet ready for baking.  If it slowly springs about halfway back, it is ready for baking.  If the indentation remains and does not spring back at all, the loaf is overproofing and should be baked immediately.  The “poke test” is somewhat subjective and take some practice, but it is a fairly reliable test.

Countertop proofing will generally produce the mildest tasting loaves.  These loaves are usually not very sour and will generally have a softer crust and more tender crumb.  Countertop proofed loaves are also more difficult to score because the dough is warm.  See “Scoring FAQs” for some tips. 

Refrigerator Cold Retard – The second final proofing option is the refrigerator cold retard. In this option, immediately after final shaping, the dough is placed in a shaping basket and is covered with plastic and put into the refrigerator for 8-12 hours.  The dough temperature will slowly drop to the refrigerator temperatuer and will slow down (or “retard”) the fermentation.  Cold retarded loaves are generally preferable because these loaves develop more complex flavors and tend to hold their shape a bit better than countertop proofed loaves. 

The longer you leave your dough in the refrigerator, the more sour and complex flavors it will develop.  You can easily leave a loaf in the refrigerator for 3 days before baking.  I’ve gone as long as 5 days, but you will see some deterioration of the loaf after Day 3.  

Your refrigerator temperature is very important when doing long, cold retards.  Your dough temperature should stay below 40F/4C or the dough will continue fermenting and could overproof faster than expected.  

A Hybrid Option – Many experienced bakers use a hybrid option between the countertop and refrigerator cold retard.  Experienced bakers will often assess how the dough looks and feels while shaping.  If the dough still feels somewhat stiff and possibly underproofed, they will let the dough proof on the countertop for 30-90 minutes before moving the dough into the refrigerator for the final cold retard.  

This option can be thought of as a “safety net” to correct for minor underproofing in bulk fermentation, or to push the envelope and really go for a wild open crumb.  Loaves left on the countertop before going into the refrigerator will sometimes create a very open, irregular crumb.  Some people find this desirable.  Others do not. 

Loaves can overproof quickly on the countertop and 30 minutes at room temperature can make a big difference.  Use this method with caution, but be aware that it is an option available.  Mastering this option comes with some experience.  

You can cold retard for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. However, it is temperature dependent.  A 5-day cold retard requires refrigerator temperature less than 40F/4C.  If your refrigerator is warmer than that, or if you open and close your refrigerator a lot during the day, you may not be able to go 5 days.  After 3 days in the refrigerator, the flavor and texture of the loaf start to marginally deteriorate through days 4 and 5. 

Some bakers have kept their loaves in the refrigerator for longer than 5 days, but I do not recommend it.  Refrigerator temperature becomes a significant variable with longer cold retards.  

Not really.  The loaf will continue fermenting in the fridge until the dough gets down to refrigerator temperature, but once it reaches that point, the fermentation really slows down and you would need to ferment if for days to see any material change in the proofing level.  Long, cold retards generally improve the flavor of the loaf, but don’t substantially compensate for underproofing in bulk fermentation.  

Some beginners mistakenly believe that if their bulk fermentation is too short, they can simply add more time on the end of the cold retard.  This doesn’t work because of the dough temperature.  One hour to little bulk fermentation at 80F/27C is very different than adding one extra hour of a cold retard at 40F/4C.  Once the dough reaches refrigerator temperature, the fermentation processes really slow down.  

The dough should visibly start puffing up. With the “poke test” you put some flour on your finger and poke the dough. If it springs back immediately, it needs more time. If it slowly springs back about halfway it is ready to bake. If it does not spring back it is overproofing and should be bake right away.

Here is some great info on the “poke test” How to use the dough poke test | The Perfect Loaf

No.  The poke test only works on dough at room temperature.  Cold dough coming out of the refrigerator will not produce an accurate result from the poke test. 

No. Raw dough does not respond well to freezing and thawing. 

Yes, but you must keep them cool.  Pack them in a cooler with ice and use a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the dough from time to time.  If the dough temperature begins increasing, the loaves will start accelerating their fermentation and can possibly overproof.  But I have successfully done this on a 6-hour driving trip. 

It is impossible to isolate the final proofing step because it is a continuation of the entire fermentation process which begins when you combine starter with flour and water.  The cutoff between bulk fermentation and final proofing is arbitrary.  It is helpful to think of the entire, end-to-end fermentation process. 

With practice, you will be able to determine your “optimal” cutoff point for bulk fermentation.  This is the most important skill to develop as a sourdough baker. If you can consistently end bulk fermentation at the same proofing level, then your final proofing steps can also become very predictable and consistent.  

Obviously, if your bulk fermentation has gone too long and your dough is pushing toward overproofing, then it makes sense to do a shorter final proof.  If your dough feels stiff and underfermented when shaping, then you can do a longer final proof.  The final proofing time should always be informed by how the dough feels when you are shaping it.  

Here are a few illustrative examples: 

1. Dough feels stiff and underproofed when shaping: Shape the dough and do a 3-hour countertop proof until the dough rises more and the poke test indicates it is ready to bake.  Or, let the dough rise for 1 hour on the countertop before putting it into the refrigerator for a final cold retard. 
2. Dough is perfectly proofed coming out of bulk fermentation: Shape the dough and do a 1-2 hour countertop proof (until it passes the poke test), or put it into the refrigerator for a cold retard. 
3. Dough is overproofed when shaping (i.e.,very loose and not holding shape): Preheat the oven while shaping and bake the loaf immediately after shaping. 

The transition from bulk fermentation to final proofing is a skill that takes some time to develop.  You can make decisions in final proofing to compensate for over or under proofing in bulk fermentation.  However, the best approach is to master bulk fermentation so you are always producing consistently fermented dough coming out of bulk fermentation.  I highly recommend this approach. 

It depends.  There are two factors to consider: 

1. Final proofing is a continuation of the total fermentation time required for the dough to be sufficiently proofed.  The total fermentation time includes both bulk fermentation and final proofing.  This total time is required regardless of when the arbitrary cutoff ending bulk fermentation is made.   For example, if a loaf theoretically takes 7 hours to “fully proof,” you could do a 3-hour bulk fermentation and 4-hour final proof, or a 5-hour bulk fermentation and a 3-hour final proof. 
2. The reason for doing a final proof is because you generally want to let the dough rise after shaping due to the inherent degassing and compression of the dough that occurs during the shaping process. 

Taking these two factors into consideration, you generally want to do a final proof to let the crumb open up after shaping.  However, the duration of the final proof is somewhat variable (and always dependent upon the duration of the bulk fermentation).   

In my experience, the shortest final proof (at room temperature) that I prefer to do is one hour.  The longest final proof (at room temperature) is about 3 hours.  When going past 2-3 hours in a final proof, the crumb tends to get very gassy and opens up large gas bubbles with a longer countertop proof.   

Two reasons: 

1. When you handle the dough during shaping, you are de-gassing the dough.  A short bench rest (30 minutes) after shaping lets the dough “open up” a bit before going into the refrigerator.   But be aware, the dough is still rapidly fermenting during that time, so in many ways it is similar to an extension of bulk fermentation.  
2. The second reason is to extend the room temperature fermentation if the dough still feels underproofed during shaping.  Even using the best techniques for assessing the cutoff for bulk fermentation, the best test is when you get your hands on the dough to shape the loaves.  Experienced bakers can develop a feel for the dough while shaping.  If the dough still feels stiff and underfermented, you can do a bench rest after shaping, before moving the dough to the refrigerator to essentially extend the bulk fermentation phase before going to the cold retard.  

If you do a bench rest after shaping, there is a limit to how long you can do it.  Long bench rests at room temperature, after shaping, can open irregular holes and gaps in the dough.  Anything longer than 30 minutes will generally be at risk of creating a very irregular crumb in the loaf.   The dough is rapidly fermenting at that time, so you can get irregular explosions of fermentation in the shaped loaf.