What an overnight cold proof actually changes

I kept reading that a night in the fridge makes better bread, so I split one batch of dough in two and tried it. Half proofed on the counter for about three hours, the other half went into the fridge for twelve and was baked straight from cold.

What was different

The cold loaf was noticeably more sour and the crust blistered more. It was also much easier to score, because cold dough holds its shape under the blade instead of dragging.

The counter loaf rose a little higher and tasted milder, closer to a plain white loaf. Nobody at the table complained about either.

What was the same

The crumb. I expected a dramatic difference and there was not one. Both were open enough, and the difference between slices was smaller than the difference between two loaves on a normal week.

What I do now

Cold proof when the schedule needs it, which is most weekdays: shape in the evening, bake before work. Counter proof on weekends when I want bread the same day. The fridge is a scheduling tool first and a flavour tool second.

If you are choosing your water amount for a dough that will sit overnight, the hydration note has the numbers I use.