Can you wait to bake already risen dough?

It is generally recommended to bake risen dough as soon as possible to ensure the best quality and texture of the baked product. Here's why:

Yeast Activity: When dough rises, the yeast consumes the available sugars and produces carbon dioxide gas, causing the dough to expand. If you wait too long after the dough has risen, the yeast may run out of food and become inactive, resulting in a less airy and fluffy texture.

Over-proofing: Allowing the dough to rise for an extended period can lead to over-proofing. Over-proofed dough can become slack, sticky, and difficult to handle, making it challenging to shape and bake. Additionally, the flavor of the dough may develop an undesirable sour or yeasty taste due to excessive fermentation.

Loss of Structure: As dough rises, the gluten strands in the dough stretch and form a network that traps the carbon dioxide gas. If the dough is left to rise for too long, the gluten structure can weaken, leading to a denser and less cohesive baked product.

Optimal Baking Time: Each recipe has an ideal baking time that takes into account the specific ingredients and desired outcome. Waiting to bake the dough can disrupt the intended baking process and result in overbaked or underbaked products.

For best results, it's recommended to follow the specified rising time provided in the recipe. Once the dough has risen as indicated, it's best to bake it as soon as possible to achieve the desired texture, flavor, and overall quality of the baked goods.