Impact of Fermentation Time on Dough Appearance: Young vs. Old

[londonbeetle]

Does final baked product appear visually older and more mature with increased fermentation time, and younger with less fermentation time? For example, a 10-hour dough that has reached optimum fermentation, whether at 10°C or 5°C, looks much younger and fresher when baked than a dough that has undergone 40 hours of optimum fermentation.


I meant final baked product. Not the actual dough
What i mean by optimum fermentation is a good balance between byproducts of fermentation and temperature

[TXCraig1]

How do we know what old dough looks like? Because we see what it looks likes as it gets older. Someone with no experience might see a dough straight out of a mixer and think it's older than a dough that's rested overnight. 

Also, I don't think "optimum fermentation" is a thing. Fermentation is a biochemical process, not a state of development. I think there can be evaluation of dough based on rise and maturity, but I don't think saying "optimum fermentation" makes sense. We're all guilty of this. I know I've written things like "fully fermented" when, in reality, a fully fermented dough would be a blob of slop.

[londonbeetle]

How do we know what old dough looks like? Because we see what it looks likes as it gets older. Someone with no experience might see a dough straight out of a mixer and think it's older than a dough that's rested overnight.

Also, I don't think "optimum fermentation" is a thing. Fermentation is a biochemical process, not a state of development. I think there can be evaluation of dough based on rise and maturity, but I don't think saying "optimum fermentation" makes sense. We're all guilty of this. I know I've written things like "fully fermented" when, in reality, a fully fermented dough would be a blob of slop.

Appologies,
Craig i meant final baked product 

[londonbeetle]

Appologies,
Craig i meant final baked product

meant final baked product. Not the actual dough 
What i mean by optimum fermentation is a good balance between byproducts of fermentation and temperature

[TXCraig1]

Appologies,
Craig i meant final baked product

I don't think I agree with the original statement then. Lots of other factors make pizza look old and tired. Fermentation time may be one of them at the extreme, but I don't think it's the most relevant in most cases.

[londonbeetle]

I don't think I agree with the original statement then. Lots of other factors make pizza look old and tired. Fermentation time may be one of them at the extreme, but I don't think it's the most relevant in most cases.

What other factors exist?
Just a few examples

[TXCraig1]

What other factors exist?
Just a few examples

Pretty much everything. Dough formula, workflow, bake time, bake temp.

[scott r]

Ill add mixing technique, balling technique, and flour batch to that list

(just realized some of that is workflow too)