It's a fermentation chamber. And once you understand what's actually happening inside that bowl of dough overnight, you'll never skip this step again.
I just dropped a new lesson this week that breaks down the cold retard from the ground up. Not just what it is. The actual science behind why it makes your bread better in three ways at once: deeper flavor, relaxed gluten that shapes without fighting you, and firm butter that creates clean layers in enriched doughs like the babka.
~ Henry⭐🔥