That Thursday when the power went out and my dough turned out better than it has in 3 months
Last Thursday the power in my apartment building in Plano got knocked out around 4am by a transformer, and I had 6 pounds of country sourdough already in the middle of bulk. I couldn't do anything but cover it and wait, so it sat on my counter for 4 extra hours at a weird cool room temp of about 62 degrees. When the power finally came back at 8, the dough felt completely different, soft and puffy and easier to shape than usual, and it hardly stuck to the bench at all. I baked it that afternoon and got the most even crumb I've had since spring, with none of those big silly holes in the middle and a thin crust that didn't shatter. I've been chasing that same loaf all week and every batch comes out a little tight and sad, which is driving me a bit nuts. I get that a power outage is not a real method, but I'm thinking the lower temp and the long slow rise is the thing to copy on purpose. Has anyone messed with an overnight cold bulk in the fridge like that, and what temp do you pull it out at?