How To Proof Dough Quickly (2024)

FAQs

How To Proof Dough Quickly? ›

A Bowl of Steaming Water is the Key to Quickly Proofing

You can use a few methods to help pizza dough rise faster. One is to use baking soda and a warm water mixture. Another is to use a warm environment, such as an oven with a light or microwave.

Carefully fill an oven-safe dish with several cups of boiling water, then place the water-filled dish on the bottom rack of your oven. Bread dough rises well in a moist and warm environment, between 70–80°F, so be sure to keep the oven off unless you plan to use a specialized proofing setting.

You will see many recipes that add a teaspoon of sugar to help the yeast to work faster. Adding up to 5% of sugar will speed up fermentation as it will feed the yeast in the initial stages before enzymes begin to break down the complex sugar molecules in the starches into simple sugars that the yeast can eat.

The more yeast, the more gas is produced and the more quickly your dough rises. You may therefore think it best to add more yeast if you'd like to get your dough to rise as quickly as possible.

If the dough ferments in an oven or proofing box for an hour or two, you can probably get by with a loose cover, like a towel. If your ferment your dough overnight in the fridge, which BTW is a great way to develop flavors you don't get otherwise, then you need a tight cover to keep the dough from drying out.

If you leave it to rise in the refrigerator overnight - 8–12 hours - , it will develop great flavor. If you make it with cool, not warm, water and leave it out at room temperature, you can let it rise for two or three hours. Yes, you should let your pizza dough rise, ferment actually, overnight.

Place the covered pizza dough in the fridge to cold-proof for 24 to 72 hours. When the dough has roughly doubled in size, remove the dough from the fridge.

Temperatures above 90°F (32°C) may adversely affect the flavor of yeast bread. Pre-ferments that rise overnight need a cool temperature to help ensure that they don't over-ferment while unattended. Set the Proofer to 70-72°F (21-22°C).

Can I let dough rise overnight on the counter? ›

If a recipe calls for proofing bread dough overnight in the refrigerator, it can be proofed on the counter at a warmer temperature for a shorter period. Rather than placing the dough in the refrigerator overnight, leave it covered on the counter for 1 to 4 hours until it's ready to bake.

A Bowl of Steaming Water is the Key to Quickly Proofing Bread. In the winter, when your house and kitchen are at a crisp temperature and you need a warm spot for your dough to rise, create a makeshift “proof box” by placing a bowl of steaming water inside your oven alongside your bowl of dough.

The higher your altitude the faster dough rises, to the point that it can rise so quickly you may want to keep it in the fridge to slow it down, just enough so it can develop some flavour. But if moving to a higher altitude isn't practical, put the dough in the oven with a bowl of hot water and that will help.

If you're using your home oven to bake, you can place the dough ball container on top of the oven (mine has a warmer spot on the left back burner), or boil a cup of water in the microwave then place the dough container in the warm microwave.

To proof bread in the oven, place a glass baking dish on the bottom rack of the oven and fill it with boiling water. Stash your dough on the middle or top rack and shut the door. The steam and heat from the boiling water will create a warm and steamy environment for the dough—exactly what you want for a good rise.