In this series of “How to make bread”, we would like to guide you through the whole procedure of making a loaf of bread from scratch. We introduce not only the basic steps, necessary techniques and skills (such as folding or proofing the
In this series of “How to make bread”, we would like to guide you through the whole procedure of making a loaf of bread from scratch. We introduce not only the basic steps, necessary techniques and skills (such as folding or proofing the dough), but also important notes (plus tips and tricks) to ensure you a success right at your first attempt.
We hope you find many takeaways from this series and May your bread always rise
Part 3: Let the dough Risseeeeee
* Step 4 – Proofing/ First rise
Having an elastic, smooth and shiny dough ball after kneading, it’s time for proofing (first dough rise). In this proofing, the yeast “eats” sugars (broken down from flour’s starches) and “releases” alcohol and CO2 into gas bubbles. Alcohol gas evaporates during the proofing and baking process, and CO2 is held in by the gluten network formed during the kneading process. Hence the pace and volume of dough rising depends on how much yeast is used, the activeness and effectiveness of the yeast.
Indication of ripe test (for the first dough rise) is, as mentioned in many bread recipes, the dough “doubles in size”. However, the point of proofing is actually to give bread its characteristic flavor and aroma. During this proofing, activities of yeast and other microorganisms release “products” to generate flavor in bread. Slower activity of the yeast and longer proofing time thus result in tastier bread. Therefore, slow-proofing bread recipes (by letting the dough rise in refrigerator at temperature low enough to slow down the yeast activity) or pre-fermentation (by fermenting part of the ingredients before mixing together with the rest and letting it rise) are both to achieve this purpose.
It should be noted that slow proofing is different from long proofing. Slow proofing is slowing the dough rise, by cutting down on yeast, or decreasing temperature to slow down the yeast activity (as in refrigerator). Long proofing is letting the dough rise in a long period of time – maybe too long. Consequently, the dough over-rises and gluten strands are stretched too much, thus declining or losing its elasticity. The dough is now wet and sticky, losing its smoothness and elasticity. Moreover, too much alcohol gas is released after too long proofing, resulting in bread’s strong yeast odor.
To summarize, there are several points to note down for this first proofing:
- Let the dough rise until it increases 1.5 times or doubles in size. The amount of yeast used and temperature determine proofing time, ranging between 45 and 90 minutes on average. A ripe test can be performed by pressing one or two fingers about 2-3 cm deep into the dough, if the indents remain, the dough has risen enough. If the indents fill back, the dough needs more proofing time. If the dough deflates, it has over-risen.
- Try to keep the dough from drying. I often let it rise in a pot covered with lid: First, I grease the pot with a little oil (to prevent dough from sticking to the pot). Turn the dough in and flip over to coat it with oil. Cover the pot with lid and let the dough rise in a warm spot. Similarly, we can proof bread dough in a tightly covered bowl, a box with lid, or a sealed plastic bag. These ways also work well to maintain the dough’s moisture.
- Don’t let the dough rise at too high temperature. Although high temperature helps the dough rise faster, thus decreasing proofing time, it also destroys the flavor of the bread. A simple way is heating the oven at 50 °C for 3-5 minutes, turning it off and letting the dough rise inside the oven. In hot summer days, it does just fine at room temperature.
- If dough never rises, it ca