Hi Sandy, 18 hours max is ideal, but a few extra hours won’t do much harm. You can always refrigerate the rising dough if it needs to rise for longer than 1 whole day. Refrigeration will slow down the rise, extending the time.

Hi Kit, the doubled recipe could be the culprit here. If it has doubled in size, you can proceed with the recipe. You don’t want it to over-proof. For the future, we recommend making 2 separate batches rather than doubling, as doubling yeast recipes can be a bit tricky. Hope you enjoy the bread!

Hi Susan, I’m sorry you’re having trouble with this bread! The bread should be soft and chewy, but it shouldn’t be overly dense. Perhaps the bread was over-kneaded a bit? An easy fix for next time! Also, make sure you aren’t adding too much flour. Weigh it with a kitchen scale or use the spoon & level method. Hope it turns out better next time!

Hi Emily, this is a great question and I’m certainly not a food safety scientist, but I’ve made this plenty of times and it’s never been an issue. You’re really just leaving it out for 12 hours, plus another 30 minutes. If you’re more comfortable, you can let it rise for a few hours at room temperature, and then refrigerate it overnight. I would add another 1/2 teaspoon of yeast to help ensure it still rises nicely when in the refrigerator. Then continue with step 2.