Most of you know me as a night baker. · Crust & Crumb Academy

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Most of you know me as a night baker.

Tonight I wrapped up my YouTube show with Chef Dave right around midnight, and as I was cleaning up, I noticed my sourdough starter was at her absolute peak. She had that look — like a puppy with those big eyes saying play with me.

So I listened.

I need two loaves over the next two days, and this weekend’s bake-along loaf isn’t going to make itself. So I mixed up the Foolproof Sourdough Loaf, the one we’re baking together this Saturday, right there at midnight.

375g water · 100g starter · 500g flour

Mixed until no dry spots remained, lidded it up, and slid it into the refrigerator for an overnight fermentolyse.

Here’s what that does: instead of a traditional autolyse (just flour and water), a fermentolyse includes your starter. The cold fridge slows fermentation way down, but it doesn’t stop it.

Overnight, your flour fully hydrates, your gluten network begins to develop, and your starter quietly does its thing, all while you sleep. The result? Better extensibility, more complex flavor, and a head start on open crumb.

It also saved me from doing a discard feed at midnight just to bake in the morning. I wake up, add my salt, and jump straight into coil folds.

That’s a win.

Have you ever tried an overnight fermentolyse? Drop it in the comments. I’d love to know how it went for you. 👇

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