I am doing two batches of dough, one after the other, is it okay to proof them both in the same Tupperware in the fridge?

Question

I want to make a big batch, but i also want to use my stand mixer so i am making two small batches

Answer 1

If you are proofing the dough in the fridge only, this implies a long rise, e.g. overnight or even multiple days.

If your kneaded dough goes straight to the fridge and you are using cool to cold ingredients, I‘d say don’t worry, make the batches one after another. The small difference shouldn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

However, if your recipe uses a „kickstart“ at room temperature (I have a few of these) before being transferred to the fridge, or uses warm liquids, you need to take a closer look at the overall timing. At minimum, I‘d use any stretch-and-fold steps or at least mix the two batches thoroughly before the cold rise to even things out. You could also play with temperature, e.g. making one with slightly cooler liquid, but that’s probably overcomplicating things.

TL;DR: The lower the yeast level and the longer the cold rise, the longer the tolerance window for kneading the dough in batches.

Answer 2

I’ve done it, and I’ve run into one issue:

The dough that I’m making requires a fair bit of kneading (about 8-10 minutes in the stand mixer), and I’m making three batches. By the time that I’m done, the first batch has had much more time to relax and rise as compared to the last batch.

I actually then go and split each batch into thirds, and send them back through the mixer for a minute or so to re-distribute. This gives me more homogeneous results when it actually comes time to bake it.

You’re only dealing two batches, so the time difference likely won’t be as pronounced, but it’s something to consider.

(I also use multiple containers so I can measure out things once at the beginning, then I just have to dump in the dry and wet for the next batch after a batch is done)