Stumbled on the actual science of bread proofing and my mind is blown

I was reading through some old issues of Cook's Illustrated at the library yesterday and found out that the ideal dough temperature for proofing isn't just about room temp, it's actually around 78-82 degrees Fahrenheit for most yeasted breads. All this time I've been leaving my dough on the cold counter or near a drafty window, no wonder my loaves were always dense. Has anyone else checked their actual proofing spot with a thermometer and found out it's way off?

3 comments

3 Comments

lucashenderson21d ago

I mean @aliceharris is it really that deep, my bread turns out fine at 65 degrees.

aliceharris21d ago

Found my proofing spot was a chilly 65 degrees once I actually checked with a thermometer. Always wondered why my dough took forever to rise and came out like a brick. Turns out my "warm corner" was basically a cold draft trap. I felt like such a fool, all those dense loaves I kept telling myself were "rustic" when really they were just sad. Now I use a little space heater nearby set to 80 and my bread actually balloons up like it's supposed to.

wade_anderson21d ago

My buddy Mike bought one of those infrared thermometers and shot his kitchen counter and it read 58 degrees. He was so mad he threw it in the drawer for a week. Then he got curious and checked his oven with the light on and it was a steady 82 right inside the door crack. Now he proofs everything in there with a cup of hot water and his sourdough starter went from taking 12 hours to like 4. Hes been telling everyone at our poker game about it like he discovered fire. Meanwhile my setup is a reptile heating mat under a plastic tub and it works perfect but looks insane.