First, knead the dough until it reaches the fully developed gluten stage. Frozen dough requires slightly more gluten than regular dough. Control the dough temperature to around 25 degrees Celsius. After rounding, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it (freezer temperature -18 degrees Celsius) for about 2 hours. After this time, the dough should be about 30% fermented. Remove the dough and measure its temperature; it should be around 5 degrees Celsius. Divide it into 3 equal portions, each weighing approximately 158 grams. Round each small dough ball and place it in a proofing box lined with plastic wrap. Cover it with another layer of plastic wrap and freeze. This completes the preparation of frozen dough. Generally, the dough will be completely frozen after more than 6 hours, and it can be stored for about a month in this frozen state.
When preparing to make bread, transfer the dough from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight, for about 16 hours. After thawing in the refrigerator, move the dough to room temperature to allow it to warm up. Do not open the lid at this time to reduce condensation on the surface of the dough. After 30 minutes, round the dough for the first time, then let it warm for another 60 minutes, until the dough temperature reaches above 22 degrees Celsius. At this point, you can begin shaping the dough; it should feel soft and elastic when pressed. Do not shape the dough before it has fully warmed up, as this can easily damage the gluten.
Roll out the dough to approximately 18cm in diameter, flip it over with the smooth side down, and slightly stretch the edges to form a rectangle. Fold in one-third from each side of the dough, roll it out to approximately 25cm in length, and then roll it up to complete the shape. Place all three shaped dough balls into a loaf pan and place them in an environment of 35 degrees Celsius and 85% humidity for a second proofing. Proof until the dough reaches 90% of the pan's height, then bake in a preheated convection oven at 160 degrees Celsius for approximately 25 minutes. Afterward, remove from the oven, tap the pan to release any air bubbles, unmold, and let cool. This completes the process of making toast from frozen dough.
We will repeat the process using the same recipe and the direct method. The process involves kneading, first fermentation, dividing, rounding, resting, shaping, second fermentation, and baking. Except for the absence of freezing and thawing, the techniques and environmental variables remain largely consistent.
The bread produced using these two methods can be compared in terms of volume, softness, and texture. The comparison results are presented in a table below.
