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Proofing —sometimes referred to as rising — is the process that allows the build-up of carbon dioxide into the dough, expanding the loaf as it rises.
The first rise – Let it rise until it doubled
Cover it with some plastic wrap or a dishtowel on a baking tray and let it rest for at least 30 to 90 minutes in a warm place until doubled in size.
Proofing times
Proofing times will vary depending on the type of dough you use, the size of your bread, the temperature of your kitchen, the weather, and the humidity. A good indication that it has risen enough is if it is doubled in size.
It could range from 30 minutes, in a warm room, to 90 minutes, in a cold room.
The type of dough will determine the required rising period
Dough containing milk or dairy products will ferment faster than dough not made with such ingredients. This is because milk and dairy products speed up the fermentation process. So, if the such dough is left to rise for too long, it can easily get spoiled. The dough should not contain any milk or other dairy products in its composition if you want to leave it rising for extended periods.
The sweet dough can be agonizingly slow risers. Because sugar attracts water, and when it’s in bread dough, it pulls moisture away from yeast — leaving the yeast thirsty and unable to grow. If you’re using regular yeast not formulated for sweet dough, the rising time will be longer by 30 minutes or more for each rise.
Ambient temperature will play a part in how fast it rises
If the air in the room is cold, the fermentation will occur slowly, and the dough will rise at a slower pace, requiring more time.
If the dough is placed in a warm spot, it will quickly ferment and won’t need too much time to rise sufficiently.
Rise temperature
Some problems occur when the dough isn’t at the right temperature or hasn’t been allowed enough time to proof — this is because the yeast can’t complete its work.
A warm, draft-free place is recommended for proofing as the temperature encourages the yeast’s reactions.
The cold temperature will slow the reaction, and a temperature that is too hot will begin the cooking process and kill the yeast.
The optimum temperature for rising is 26-30°C/80–85°F.
Rising it on the countertop
To avoid allowing the skin to form on the outside, cover the pan with a clean dishtowel (use a damp – but not wet one).
Use a large cotton towel with a smooth surface. Do not use a terry towel. It will stick to the dough and flatten the loaf. An even worse consequence is that you might end up with bread studded with bits of terry loops.
You can also use a plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray or olive oil to prevent sticking when it rises and allow it to rise in a warm space.
The type and size of the plastic wrap or towel used to cover the dough are also important. Be sure it is large enough to cover your entire dough, or you will have a “crust” form, and the dough will no longer rise.
Rising it in a slightly warmed oven
If the room is cold, and you want to ensure the dough will rise, you can place it in a slightly warmed oven.
- Leaving dough on the counter, heat your oven at the lowest temperature to 76°C/170°F for ONLY ONE MINUTE and turn it OFF — This is crucial! Set a timer so you don’t forget. More than a minute is too long.
- Put the dough in the slightly warmed oven.
- Cover the dough with a clean dishtowel or a plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray.
- Make sure it remains moist, and place a pan with hot water at the lowest point of the oven.
- Set timer for 45 minutes.
- Relax.
- When the timer goes off, remove the dough from the oven.
Rising it in the fridge
If you can’t bake the dough in the following hours after kneading it, If the type of dough allows, you can place it in the fridge and slow its rising. A lower temperature will prevent the dough from getting spoiled from too much rising or sour while fermentation takes place.
Also, there are types of dough you should place in the fridge for the fermentation process or refrigerate once they’re done rising.
The cold of the fridge will slow the yeast growth enough to give you 24 hours of breathing room.
It should have risen slowly overnight, but it needs some time to rise. In the morning, take the dough out, and allow the dough to come to room temperature before baking.
- About one to two hours on the countertop
- Or put it in a slightly warmed oven (76°C/170°F for ONLY ONE MINUTE and turn it OFF) for about 30 minutes.
How to know if the dough is ready
The dough should feel soft and pillowy.
You will know your dough is perfectly proofed if you poke it.
Before you work it into the shape, you want to check to see. Flour your index and middle fingers and gently poke the sides of your dough.
- If the indentation bounces back, you will know it requires a little more time.
- If it fills back in slowly, it is ready to be shaped.
- You will know your dough is over-proofed if, when poked, it never springs back.
Bread dough should not be left to rise for too long
When the dough is left in warm condition for extended periods or overnight, whether it contains dairy products or not, it will get sour from too much fermentation.
Besides taste, the texture of the bread will also suffer significant modifications. It can turn out to be too dense, crumbly, or gummy instead of having a soft yet chewy texture.
It is false to believe that the longer you let the dough rise, the larger your bread will get. On the contrary, dough that rises for too long will produce a smaller loaf of bread.
Under-proofing or over-proofing
Quality-wise, proofing defines the flavour of the resultant bread.
Your dough can either be under-proof or over-proof.
Keep an eye on it. This step is crucial.
With under-proofing, you will have sticky or flattened bread
If the dough doesn’t rise enough, your bread will be compact and smaller than it should be.
If it over proofs, it may fall or have a big hole in the middle
With over-proofing, the bread will have little strength, resulting in a deflated or crumbling bread. This dough will collapse during baking or as soon as you grab it. Considering the dough is usually kneaded once more after rising to give it the desired shape, this will not be possible with an overly risen dough.
You may only realize your error once you slice into the baked loaf.
What do you do if you forget about the dough, and it is over-proofed or rose too much?
When the dough has proofed too long and the air bubbles have popped. The fermentation process can affect the flavour of the future loaf of bread after so many hours.
To rescue over-proofed dough, press down on the dough to remove the gas, then reshape and reproof.
The second rise – Let it rise again until it nearly doubled
Once you have finished your final shape, you should let the dough proof for a bit longer in its oven tray before baking.
Cover with a dishtowel. Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 30 to 90 minutes. The rising times after it is shaped and placed in the baking pan will vary due to the recipe, temperature, and humidity level of your kitchen. The duration of the process will influence your final product.
A good indication that it has risen enough is if the dough has risen a little, about one inch (2.5 cm), above the top of the pan, or if it is doubled in size. It could range from 30 minutes, for a small roll, to 90 minutes, for a sandwich loaf.
The optimum temperature for rising is 26-30°C/80–85°F.
Rising it in the fridge after shaping
Should you run out of time to bake your bread after shaping it, spray a plastic wrap with nonstick spray and cover the bread dough.
Place it into the refrigerator. The cold of the fridge will slow the yeast growth enough to give you 24 hours of breathing room.
It should have risen slowly overnight, but it needs some time to rise. In the morning, take the dough out, and allow the dough to come to room temperature before baking.
- About one to two hours on the countertop in a cold room
- Or put it in a slightly warmed oven (76°C/170°F for ONLY ONE MINUTE and turn it OFF) for about 30 minutes.
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