Just took out the prettiest loaf of N.Y. Times bread I've ever made. It's the first one I've made since I've moved here into Glenn's house. Oven's the same. We brought mine from my old house, so that's not different.
I hadn't tried to make this bread before because I had to figure out how to create a constant warm temp for the long first rise. In the summer, that would be no problem but, in the colder months, that's a challenge. We keep the house in the low to mid 60s. I wasn't going to be deterred.
I thought, and thought, and thought, and thought...and came up with, as it turned out, the perfect solution.
I blocked the exterior vent louvers to the dryer, then leveled the "fins" on the inside of the dryer enough to span them with a large cooling rack. Under the rack on the "floor" of the dryer I laid a heating pad. Turned the heating pad to HIGH. Once the heating pad was in place I placed my electronic cooking thermometer atop the rack. So far, so good.
Lastly, I mixed up my dough slurry and put the bowl on the rack shelf. Closed the dryer door, with the cord for the heating pad running out, along with the cord to the thermometer.
For the entire 18 hours the temperature remained at between 71F and 73F. When the rise time was done, the inside of the dryer was cozy and nice and the dough was perfect.
I'm a happy camper and now I can make this type of bread any time I want.