Often inexperienced cooks don’t understand the importance of right leavening of the dough for having the most mouthwatering pastry: bread, rolls, buns etc. So, it’s always better to get to know more about what you are going to do and to cook.
Actually, a process of proofing is a final step of rising the dough before it is going to be baked. Proofing is considered to be a part of a fermentation process, which is about the dough being leavened by the yeast. Sometimes proofing may be called proving, or less often a blooming process.
What is a proofing Box?
When you are in a process of cooking any yeast dough, an inseparable part of the cooking is letting your dough to rise, ferment or proof. For that purpose, you have to cover the dough, let it rest at a certain temp, which usually makes up 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit (27-30 degrees Celsius). Also, humidity is extremely important and it should be about 75 per cent. Yeast needs these conditions to be active, as if the temp and humidity conditions aren’t high enough, yeast will get slow or inactive and the dough will not rise at all or will rise very low.
So, most professional cooks possess a proofing box, that is a high cabinet capable to keep the necessary air temp and humidity for hours to let the dough rise to the needed extent.
What Can I Use instead of a Proofing Basket?
When not having a basket or box for proofing your dough, don’t get upset, just read the article and you will figure out what to do. For that purpose, you will be in need of hot water, a thermometer, a pan for baking and some enclosed room (space). With these helpful objects you will be able to ferment your dough at any temp at your home.
What is the Temperature of a Proofing Oven?
If it’s warm enough in your home for your yeast to get active (80-90 degrees Fahrenheit), just cover your dough and put it in some warm corner (it might be an oven, for instance) and check that there is no draft there.
But if you see that it’s quite cold at your accommodation, then turn on the oven, heat it up to the necessary temp and then turn it off, put the dough in and leave it to rest. That is a comfy method, but it has got certain drawbacks. There is a risk of your dough being over proofed. If the temp in an oven gets too high and the dough is too warm, yeast will give out too much gas and, as a result, the dough will lower instead of rising.
Make a Homey Proofing Box
But creating your own homey proofing box is a wonderful idea to get the best quality dough for your pastry.
- So, take water, a thermometer, a dish for baking, a big measuring glass and start creating your proofing box. Install two rack in the oven, the first should be in the middle and the second one at the bottom. You will need them for a baking dish and for a water glass.
- Heat about 700-800 ml of water until it has got a temp around 200 degrees Fahrenheit or 92-93 Celsius. Check the temp out with a thermometer.
- Cover the dish with the dough with some plastic wrapping or a towel and place it into the center of the oven.
- Take a glass or any cup you like (it may also be some dish) and pour hot water in it, then place it on the lower rack of the oven.
- Close the oven door and let the dough have the steam and warmth from water for a few hours. From time to time, check the temperature in the oven with the thermometer to make sure it isn’t too low.
Check this video out to see how it may be made:
Arduino Proofing Box
If you wish to make your proofing process at home even easier and you know a little about technical parts, you might use Arduino controllers to control a temperature at your oven or cabinet for proofing. Actually, Arduino is a platform, that includes both software and hardware for helping to program microcontrollers. Here is a tip about how to create your own Arduino proofing box, read the article and give it a try.
The Fresh Loaf Proofing Box
There are various opinions about how and where it is better to proof dough, but there are a few variants for you to think about.
If you are thinking about getting a professional Proofing box, one of the best variants is buying Brod & Taylor proofing box, which is costlier than making a cabinet at home, but certainly more comfortable in use.
One of the best variants is also using your microwave oven as a box, which is capable to keep a certain temperature for some time or you might use a lamp and a controller of temp for maintaining a constantly warm environment. Still, this method will need some time and thinking to finish it.
Some people use a cabinet instead of a microwave oven for home process of rising the dough. Just choose the most appropriate method for you.
Pizza Dough Proofing Box
Having an effective proofing box or oven is important for creating a famous crust dough for a pizza, as well. A rectangular or round dish for a pizza dough will be okay for a proofing process, but if you have decided to get a brand proofing box, there is a great choice of them online and they may be made from various materials. There is a video of Brod & Taylor proofing box for you to see how it looks and works:
Just improve your cooking skills and enjoy the most delicious pastry!
