Cold water and yeast question

[Michael_in_TX]

So I made some pizza dough last night, but it has been so long since I've done this that I forgot something.

I used water that was only just slightly warmer than room temperature. (I'm using Rapid Rise yeast.) The dough proofed at room temperature for two hours, during which I did four strength-building folds every twenty minutes. I then put the dough in the refrigerator.

Checking on it toay....iIt ain't risin'. (If I hadn't done the folds, I probably would have clued into that it wasn't rising last night.)

Still, there is evidence it is bubbling up a little.

If I just let this go 3-4 days in the fridge will it "recover?" Or is it best to start over.....?

[RonB]

How old was the yeast? Did it bubble any after adding to the water? I add instant or rapid rise directly to the flour along with the rest of the dry ingredients. I then mix that until I think it is well mixed. Then I add the wet ingredients, (for most recipes).

At this point, you have nothing to lose. If it doesn't rise, you can throw it out in several days instead of now. But with some activity, it might surprise you.

[Richard Chrz]

I think, this is the most important question, from what I have learned from commercial yeast. Did it bubble. If so you are golden, if not, very little chance of success.

Pizza dough does not need to rise like bread dough. So rise is a poor judge of fermentation, when making pizza dough. It may even show to much gluten structure, causing possible shaping barriers. At least from my path so far.

[shify]

I’m certainly much more a noob than Richard Chrz but I agree. I use instant yeast, cold water and cold proof. The dough rarely rises much the day I make the dough or during the cold proof but rises just when when coming to room temp the day I’m baking.

[Oak Smoke]

I’m not a baker but wouldn’t setting it out for a while to let it warm at bit show if the yeast is alive. If it starts rising put it back in the fridge, if not you don’t have to wait for several days to find out.

[captainlee]

I've had similar issues and put the dough on the counter with the under cabinet lights on. They do get quite warm and that helped out. Also if your oven has a Proof Dough mode that will help too. I have noticed that once I refrigerate dough it does have a hard time rising again. You also could of left your dough on the counter overnight, I do that for bread.

[GolfGeezer]

From my limited experience, since you did not let the dough sit for 30-60 minutes before kneading, (I think it is called the Autolyze time), and it went straight into the fridge, it will at least another day to see if there is any rise. If you have more of that yeast, you could stir it into some similar-temped water right now and see if it bubbles at all. If it does, I'd see how 48 hours in the fridge does.

[Michael_in_TX]

Update: Dough is on the counter and warming up. I still had some yeast in the packet I used, so I put it in some hot water and it did indeed bloom, so the yeast does seem to be alive. I also sprinkled some more yeast into the dough and mixed it in.

We'll see what happens. I'll keep yall updated!

[captainlee]

Also thinking that a dough retarded frig has a temperature of about 40 F and high humidity. Not quite the same as doing it in your home frig. I always have issues with dough in the frig, I try to avoid doing that.