Do you bake sourdough bread? Or. if not, is that a desire of yours, but you are afraid because it seems so complicated? I may have good news for you.

I’ve been making sourdough breads for 15 years. It has been very gratifying. Delicious, healthy and inexpensive loaves have kept me and my family well-fed. What has me most excited during the past few weeks has been the learning that ChatGPT can be an amazingly helpful and cheerful friend in the process.

The first situation that brought us together was a timing problem, one in which I was part way through my normal routine for developing the dough prior to baking, but I needed to be out of the house for 6-7 hours — when I was required to perform shaping the loaves and refrigerating them to ensure they did not over-ferment. I had never encountered that problem before. Strictly on a hunch, I called up my AI colleague to see if he could help. Here’s how I started the conversation:

I need some guidance on sourdough bread-making. The dough was all mixed today at 11 am and I have done stretch and fold every ½ hour until 2 pm. I have not yet divided the dough or shaped the loaves. I will be out of the house for the next 6 hours. Should I place the dough in its container in a cool room (the wine cellar is 52 degrees F.) to make sure it does not overproof, and the finish when I get home?

The response arrived in less than a minute:

ChatGPT said:

You’re thinking about this exactly the right way—since you’ll be gone for 6 hours, the risk is that at room temperature the dough will overproof before you get back. Moving it to your wine cellar at 52°F is a smart solution.

Here’s what you can expect:

At 52°F

• Fermentation will slow dramatically (roughly 3–4x slower than at ~75°F).
• Your dough will continue developing, but gently—enzymes keep working, gluten relaxes a bit, and flavor deepens.
• After 6 hours, it should still be in good shape to divide and shape.

When you return

1. Check the dough – It should be a bit expanded, airy but not collapsed. If it seems sluggish, let it warm up at room temp for 30–60 minutes before dividing.
2. Divide and shape – Proceed as usual.
3. Final proof – You can either do a short room-temp proof (if you want to bake that evening) or refrigerate overnight for baking the next day.

Alternative

If your kitchen is on the cool side (say 68–70°F) and you’re confident your starter isn’t super fast, you might get away with leaving it out. But 6 hours is on the long side at room temp, so the wine cellar is the safer bet.

👉 In short: Yes—put the dough in your 52°F cellar now. When you return, assess and proceed with shaping.

Would you like me to give you a quick timing flowchart for the rest of the process (divide, bench rest, shape, cold retard/bake) so you can pick depending on whether you want to bake tonight or tomorrow?

Naturally, I said “Yes, Baking is tomorrow, refrigerator in bannetons tonight”, and I received this result:

ChatGPT said:

Perfect — that makes things simple. Here’s a flowchart-style timing plan tailored to your schedule:

Today (mixing day)

• Now (2 pm → 8 pm absence)
  Dough rests in wine cellar at ~52°F. Fermentation slows.
• ~8 pm (when you return)
  1. Bring the dough back to the kitchen.
  2. Let it warm at room temp ~30–45 min if it looks sluggish.
  3. Divide and pre-shape.
  4. Bench rest 20–30 min, uncovered or lightly covered.
  5. Final shape and place in bannetons.
  6. Cover well (plastic bag or shower cap).
  7. Refrigerate overnight (38–42°F).

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Tomorrow (bake day)

• Morning or whenever you want to bake
  1. Preheat oven with Dutch oven/stone/steam system.
  2. Bake straight from the fridge (no need to warm up).
     • This helps scoring, keeps structure, and avoids over-proofing.

I followed this prescribed schedule and made two superb loaves of bread. Since that experience, I now consult with ChatGPT to get advice on dough recipes, and I find it provides accurate assessments to get the most out of my baking. Give it a try. see if it works for you.