Proving dough 28 December 2007 at 6:37PM in Old Style MoneySaving 87 replies 35.6K views

jasmine33

Our airing cupboard is not always that warm. Do you think it would be ok to prove the dough in the oven on a very low setting?

Jasmine

Smiley_Mum

I think that might be a bit too warm, I just cover mine and sit it beside the lounge heater.

Pink.

Hi Jasmine,

I tried that once and it didn't work...the dough over proved and sort of collapsed. Now I just leave it out in the kitchen and I think the long slow proving makes better bread.

Pink

babybug

I don't have an airing cupboard so I generally find the warmest place in the house. Usually when baking I'm also cooking something else so I sit the bowl next to the oven, which is generally enough heat for it.

thriftlady_2

You don't need to put dough in a warm place to rise I just leave mine in the kitchen for 2 hours. It is always fine.

jasmine33

Thanks everyone fro the speedy replies. Think I'll try leaving it out in the kitchen for an hour or two.

kethry

if the kitchen is still too cold, and your airing cupboard is too, there's another method: cover your bowl with oiled clingfilm (i.e. lay your clingfilm out on the counter, dribble some oil on it, use a bit of kitchen paper to smear the oil over the clingfilm, then put the clingfilm over the bowl, oil side down - this is so that if the dough rises to the top of the bowl, it won't stick to the clingfilm!), then fill your washing up bowl with hand hot water from the hot water tap (i.e. not boiling water, that would kill the yeast) and rest the bowl with the bread dough in it. Cover the whole thing with a thick towel (not so that the towel is in the water, just over the whole thing to help trap the heat). as long as your bowl is covered with clingfilm you shouldn't get water in with your dough, and should work just fine:) however, unless your kitchen is absolutely freezing then i think you'll probably be fine.

HTH

keth
xx

Swan_2

lots of of good advice here

I've been making bread (mostly by hand, ocassionally by machine) for 30+ years & here are a couple of things I've learned ...

dough will rise, eventually, even in a very cold place, I've even refrigerated dough & it still rises
in fact, slow rising actually improves the flavour of your bread

in an emergency, ie when it's really cold &/or you haven't time to hang about, if your microwave's big enough, put the bowl of covered dough in & zap it on high for 15 seconds
sounds drastic, but it won't kill the yeast, just gives your dough a flying start
if the microwave's capacity is large enough, leave it in there to continue rising as it keeps the heat in, or take it out & insulate it on top with a towel it as kethry suggests above

actually just remembered, I've been known to zap the flour before I start if it's very cold in the kitchen, that helps too


happy baking

[Deleted User]

slow, cold proving makes nicer bread. You can prove overnight in the fridge. Just allow more time for cold places

Swan_2

kittie wrote: »

slow, cold proving makes nicer bread. You can prove overnight in the fridge. Just allow more time for cold places

yes, it definitely does make for more flavourful bread & it's my preferred method, when I'm not in some sort of tearing rush or culinary crisis!

I also think that's one of the reasons a lot modern commercial bread can be so tasteless, they use that accelerated way of making it
the proper name for it escapes me right now though :rolleyes:

ceridwen

Swan wrote: »

dough will rise, eventually, even in a very cold place, I've even refrigerated dough & it still rises
in fact, slow rising actually improves the flavour of your bread

aaaaahhh ... the answer to a question I asked on the "Any Questions" thread. Thanks for that. Sometimes I only have time to make the bread dough at that point and need to cook it the following day. Sounds like that WOULD be possible then? How long does dough take to rise in the fridge? - am thinking 10-12 hours might be about right?

As a secondary question - am wondering whether its possible to make bread dough and stick it in the freezer and bring out for rising and baking subsequently?