Best place for dough to rise if house is cool?

[kitchenelf]

Do you know just how much I hate baking?????

I don't think I let the second rise rise long enough.

My bread was white, which I translate into too much raw flour on the outside - white bread is not too appealing! I did let it cook for about 10 additional minutes and had I not done that I think it would have been ok taste wise. Otherwise I thought they were a bit "heavy".

Darn, darn, darn ..... I hate baking! I WILL do this again though!

 

[JoeV]

pretty much do the same thing. if day is very warm, it will rise on the counter.


babe

Wow, that's what JoeV does also. I just boil a coffee mug of water in the nuke (1min 33 sec in my machine), put the mug in the corner and put the dough in there with a plastic bag just laying on top of it. In 1 hour or less my dough has at least doubled in size. Just keep the door closed and it does fine. If you must peek (I know some can't resist being nosey), wait at least 45 minutes to do so.

If it's a warm day it sits on the counter.

KEEP YOUR YEAST IN THE FRIDGE OR FREEZER. USE ONLY INSTANT YEAST. BUY IN BULK AND SAVE A FORTUNE. IMHO

JoeV

 

[suziquzie]

this may seem awfully dumb... but....
if it's too cold to rise inside due to the air conditioning.....
can't you just put it outside?????

 

[GotGarlic]

Do you know just how much I hate baking?????

I don't think I let the second rise rise long enough.

My bread was white, which I translate into too much raw flour on the outside - white bread is not too appealing! I did let it cook for about 10 additional minutes and had I not done that I think it would have been ok taste wise. Otherwise I thought they were a bit "heavy".

Darn, darn, darn ..... I hate baking! I WILL do this again though!

Hey, KitchenElf. You know, I had a friend who was always overcooking her roast beef, because she took it out at the time the recipe said and cut into it, and it was still too red, so she put it back in the oven to "finish." After another 10 minutes, she'd take it out and of course, the carryover cooking would overcook it.

You can check bread with your instant-read thermometer, just like meat. It should be about 190*F. Remove and let cool on a wire rack. HTH.

 

[JoeV]

You can check bread with your instant-read thermometer, just like meat. It should be about 190*F. Remove and let cool on a wire rack. HTH.

Amen! I use 200*F, but that's close enough. AS I said before, I always begin checking a new recipe 10 minutes BEFORE the stated bake time. Once I have it dialed in, I write the time on the recipe in my book. REPEATABILITY comes from testing. Since I measure using weight, I can pretty much tell when a new recipe will be done just by comparing the weight of the ingredients. It's kind of neat when you finally have your epiphany.

Joe

 

[ChefJune]

It is rising as we speak. I too set it for 60 minutes. I did go back and put a piece of plastic over the bowl - so, it HAS to be covered? This question is proof (no pun intended), I don't bake.

Yes, it has to be covered, or it will develop an unwanted crust on the top.

Adillo, isn't there too much heat in the dishwasher on rinse? I would be afraid it would kill the yeast.

 

[ChefJune]

Um - any form of dough hates me cj!!!! The next time I think I will use the slow rise method just out of curiosity. I did pinch a tiny bit off during the preparation for the second rise and it's funny you should mention sour dough - that's what it tasted a bit like.

We'll see in about 1 1/2 hours how badly I messed this up. No one understands - I'm a disaster near flour mixed with water and if theirs yeast involved??? My mind is a powerful thing - these things never turn out!

Elf, quit jinxing yourself! You can do it if you think you can, and not if you don't.....

 

[Adillo303]

Chef June - You can control temp by the water temp. I think that I am looking for 90 - 105. What do you say on temp? Good point though.

 

[letscook]

Thats what I do - put a small saucepan on with water bring to a boil
then take the pot and put it in the oven along with the dough.
make nice warm moist bread rising machine and you didn't even have to go purchased the device.

 

[miniman]

I turn the ovens on and leave the dough rising on top of the cooker. The rear vents vent enough to keep the dough warm and as I have a very small kitchen, the whole place does heat up.

 

[kitchenelf]

this may seem awfully dumb... but....
if it's too cold to rise inside due to the air conditioning.....
can't you just put it outside?????

Well, the air wasn't on and it has been cool here and outside? We have waaaaay too many squirrels

I'll try again today - it's just flour, water, and a bit of yeast and salt

Can anyone tell me why the bread stayed pasty white? I think, anyway, it was from too much raw flour on the outside.

Thanks for the inside temp of the bread - that will help a lot. I only left it in there hoping it would brown up a bit - - - - - it didn't

And the second rise - on the cookie sheet - requires no covering?

 

[pacanis]

If I remember the vid right, his loaves looked kinda light colored. Not like they would if you cooked them in a covered DO like the NYT bread calls for.

 

[kitchenelf]

Mine were Casper white!! The only color to them was spotted, on the bottom

 

[GrantsKat]

KE, did you brush the top with egg wash?

 

[kitchenelf]

KE, did you brush the top with egg wash?

I will the next time - I didn't this time.

 

[miniman]

I'm not so sure about the egg wash - my loaves brown nicely without that. How long were they in the oven and at what temperature. I do mine at gas 5 (about 200) and they develop nice crusts - usually about half an hour in the oven.

 

[Aria]

Keep the Yeast Dough WARM

I place my yeast dough in an oven with a bowl of hot water on bottom shelf. The bowl with yeast dough on top shelf. Low enough to leave room for dough to rise.

Check it after first hour...if not rising fast enough....the water may have cooled and you need to replace with hot water.Dough should always be away from drafts and in a WARM spot.

 

[blissful]

My answer is: South America

Usually I turn the oven on, and then when it's preheated I turn it off and leave the dough in the bowl covered on top of the stove.

 

[jpmcgrew]

I put it in the laundry room with the dryer drying clothes or in a small bathroom turn the cental heat on a few minutes turn off and shut bathroom door. Reading all the posts I'm thinking plug tub and fill with some hot water as well. I have had no problems regardless of what I do. Maybe you just need to be patient and just place dough in the warmest place you have. Warming the bowl with hot water and then drying bowl you are rising dough in also helps a lot.

 

[JoeV]

Warming the bowl with hot water and then drying bowl you are rising dough in also helps a lot.

That's a great idea that I use as well.

FYI, heat is generated during the proofing process. I read somewhere that it's something like 80 F. I think part of my success comes from putting my dough in a plastic shopping bag and tucking the handles under the bowl so no draft gets to the bowl. I sometimes drape a terry cloth dish towel over the top of the bowl as well (the towel cover shows up in a lot of bread recipes). When I remove the bowl from the bag, there is a lot of condensation inside the bag from the heat the dough gives off.

For those having problems with the dough rising, try this method and see if it helps. I know it's been said before, but the yeast is EXTREMELY important. Using FRESH INSTANT YEAST will cover a multitude of sins.

Joe