Bulk fermentation time by temperature
Temperature is the biggest lever on fermentation speed. Warmer dough ferments faster, cooler dough slower. Enter your dough temperature for an estimate of bulk fermentation time. Treat it as a starting point and judge the dough by how it looks and feels.
An estimate, not a timer. Warmer dough ferments faster. Always judge by how the dough looks and feels.
| Dough temperature | Bulk estimate |
|---|
How the estimate works
The estimator uses a Q10 model, the standard chemistry rule that a reaction rate changes by a roughly constant factor for every 10 degrees Celsius. Around a reference of four and a half hours at 25 C, the rate climbs as the dough warms and falls as it cools. It is the same model the Banneton app uses to lay out a bake-day schedule.
Read the dough, not just the clock
Flour, starter strength, and how you handle the dough all move the real number. Look for a dough that has risen by roughly half, feels alive and jiggly, and shows a few bubbles at the edges. That tells you more than any timer.
Plan the whole bake day
In the app, set when you want bread out of the oven and Banneton builds a reverse timeline with stage timers.
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