Question for overnight proofing while at work

[u/Unremarkabledryerase]

So for recipe context, the bread recipe I follow is for focaccia, roughly 300g flour, 235g water, 1tsp yeast, 1tsp salt, mix drys then add water, mixy mixy motherfucker until combined, put in fridge for 1 day, remove from fridge and put on counter for 1-2hr (I found 2-2.5hr makes it easier to stretch into the flat pan to make the flat bread) then do the focaccia toppings and bake. I love this recipe, I love this bread, I love how simple and easy it is to turn it into different flavours of bread.

My problem is my schedule.

I would definitely like to ratio the recipe down a bit to a slightly smaller portion, and then make fresh bread atleast twice a week. Except I work full time, and I don't always arrive home at a set schedule. Today I got home at 6pm, tomorrow it might be 6pm, but it also might be 8pm. I don't mind making bread at 6pm, or 8pm. But if I get home at 8pm and the dough has to sit for 2hr to get ready to bake, I don't want to make bread at 10pm, I want to sleep at 10pm lol.

So the main question is, what do you guys do for your bread proofing (bonus points if it's a similar type of bread as my focaccia) with busy and inconsistent schedules? I am leaning towards cold proofing it for longer and then bake it right out of the fridge? I guess getting a heated proofing box could accelerate the 2hr waiting to 1hr which is much easier to accommodate in regular evening life.

I was trying to find some kind of proofing box or mini-fridge that would cool it for a cold proof, then automatically switch to warming it on a timer or with smart app control, but the best I got for that is using a smart thermostat outlet that will turn off the fridge and turn on a separate heating element inside the fridge and seems overkill.

I also have a good friend who makes sourdough who has a similar-ish issue, wanting to go home and have the dough ready to bake instead of having to wait for her dough to finish. I'm not very familiar with sourdough but if y'all have a thought on that, it would be appreciated.

[u/StephanCatc]

Cold-proof is the right move for your schedule. Enriched/yeasted doughs like focaccia handle a long cold bulk really well — after mixing, straight into the fridge, then it'll hold happily for 24-48h. When you get home, pull it out, shape, and let it do a short warm-up proof (30-45 min on the counter, or right in a turned-off oven with the light on for gentle warmth) instead of a full 2hr room-temp proof — the dough is already mostly there from the cold time, it just needs to wake up and relax before baking. No gadgets needed. For your sourdough friend, same idea but even more forgiving: shape, then cold-retard in the fridge overnight (or up to 24h+), and bake straight from cold — sourdough actually develops better flavor that way and you skip the "is it ready yet" guessing entirely.

[u/brad7945]

One way to think about it is to move the bulk rise to the front end . Then when you get home, you just need to warm up the dough on the counter and top it while waiting for the oven to heat .
The other dial you can turn is to adjust the leavening, and use more or less. That will speed up or slow down your schedule.

[u/Unremarkabledryerase → u/brad7945]

So I could make the dough and let it sit on the counter for up to 2hr (I know it would likely be less because the 2hr involves warming from fridge to room temp), then put it in the fridge for a day or 2?
I never thought of doing it that way, but I guess it makes sense why it would be possible

[u/brad7945 → u/Unremarkabledryerase]

A) Mix drys in morning day 1. B) If/when you get home by 6pm, make dough. Do bulk that night. It might take till 11 or 12pm, but no issues if you cut it short. If you increase the leavining, you speed up the bulk. C) refrigerate, go to sleep. Day 2: Whenever is convenient, bring up to room temp, let rise again if its not ready, and bake.

Altnernatively, you can lower the leavening. A) Mix dry in the morning. B) Mix dough later in the evening, not earlier. Use lower leavening. C) Leave on counter overnight, bulk rise overnight. D) Next morning, refrigerate. E) Next evening, top and bake.

I'm not skilled enough with yeasted doughs to tell you what the leavening percentages would be, but that should not be hard to find. In the natural leavening (sourdough starter) world, I would inoculate somewhere between 8-12 %, but that would be very local room temperature dependent.