umar49•11d ago

Pro tip: Should we chill our dough overnight or is it overrated?

I visited this bakery in Santa Fe last month and the baker there insisted on chilling her cookie dough for a full 24 hours before baking. She said it deepens the flavor and improves texture. But my grandma never chilled her dough and her cookies were always amazing. So what do you all think? Is overnight chilling a must-do or just extra work?

3 comments

3 Comments

shane_park9211d ago

Huh, I used to be all about skipping the chill step but @morgan_king36's side by side test actually makes me reconsider. What butter temperature do you usually start with for your dough?

morgan_king3611d ago

Actually the thing with meatloaf is resting it helps the proteins relax so it doesn't get crumbly when you slice it, not really the same as cookie dough chemistry. The chilling thing with cookies is mostly about keeping the butter cold so they spread less and get chewier rather than flat and crispy. I did a side by side test once with the same dough, half baked right away and half after 24 hours. The chilled ones had a slightly more caramelized flavor but honestly I couldn't tell much difference in texture. If you're using a recipe with melted butter it matters even less since the spread is already controlled differently.

margaretramirez11d ago

Your grandma never chilled her dough and her cookies were always amazing" - that's exactly how I feel about my mom's meatloaf recipe. She just mixed it up and threw it in the oven. Never rested it or anything. Came out perfect every time. I tried chilling cookie dough once. Left it in the fridge for two days. Forgot about it. They were fine but nothing special. Maybe it helps if you're a pro baker but for regular people it's just more steps.