Storing Artisan Bread Dough

We suggest mixing your artisan bread dough directly in a five-quart ice cream bucket if you are mixing it by hand. Then you don't have to transfer the dough from the mixer bowl, and there is less clean-up.

The dough needs to rise before you refrigerate it. Give it about 2 or 3 hours. It will fill the bucket and then will actually begin to sink back down somewhat.

After it has risen, refrigerate it. We use a marker and date the bucket. The refrigerated dough will keep for two weeks. It is important that your bucket NOT be airtight - that's why an ice cream bucket is good - do not use a container such as Tupperware which seals airtight.