Made-up units to be retarded are made from young dough. After makeup, they are immediately placed in the retarder. When needed, they are allowed to warm and finish their proof, if necessary. They are then baked.
A valuable laborsaving tool for medium to large bakeshops is the retarder-proofer. As the name suggests, this equipment is a combination of freezer/retarder and proofer, with thermostats for both functions and with timers to automate the process. For example, the baker can make up a batch of rolls in the afternoon or evening and place them in the retarder-proofer with the controls set for retarding or freezing. The baker sets the timer for the proper hour the following morning. The machine automatically begins to raise the temperature, proofing the rolls so they are ready to bake in time for breakfast.
