Where do you let bread rise?

[mirope]

I'm letting the CL Whole Wheat Bread recipe dough rise right now. it says to do it covered, in a place that is 85 degrees, away from drafts. I have it covered with a kitchen towel - good enough? what's an ideal place that might hit 85 degrees. I can't think of how to get my oven to that temp. current temp in the house is about 70. where do you put your bread dough to let it rise?

[Molli526]

I let my bread dry in my bottom oven, with the light on, no heat

[DeeK]

If it is cold outside, I pre-warm my oven and set the pan in there, covered with a towel with the door cracked open or boil a cup of water in the microwave, remove it and put the bread in there.

If I'm doing laundry, I'll set it, covered with a towel, in the laundry room.

If it is a real sunny day, I'll set it, covered, on my dining room table in the sun.

Hope one of these methods works for you.

[Mary Ann]

I let my bread dry in my bottom oven, with the light on, no heat

This method works for me as well. If I happen to have clothes in the dryer, I set it, covered, in the laundry room.

The latest Cook's Illustrated had this tip, but I haven't tried it yet.

1) Place a coffee mug filled with 1/2 cup water in the microwave. Run the microwave on high for about 1 minute.

2) Open the door to the microwave, push the cup to the back corner, and set the dough inside. Close the door and let the bread rise. (The warmed mug will keep the interior between 80 and 90 degrees for up to 90 minutes.)Remove the dough once it has doubled in size or reach the desired volume in your recipe.

Welcome to the boards!

[rosen]

I use the boiling cup of water in the microwave method.

Have also put a 9x13 pan in the bottom of the oven that was half filled w/ boiling water.

Have also put a bowl of dough in the furnace room.

The mw works the best by far.

[Grace]

Yeast dough will basically rise anywhere, even the refrigerator, albeit much more slowly. I put mine wherever. If my oven is preheating, I put it on top of the stove. If not, the oven, which is pilot lit works great and gets it out of my way while I do other stuff. I also put it in the fridge if I want to bake the next day instead. It all works. I wouldn't worry too much unless you're really in a hurry and need it to rise in the shortest amount of time possible.

All the suggestions you got already are good though.

[funniegrrl]

My mother always used to put it on top of the television ... while it was on, of course. :)

[cherylopal]

i put in the microwave- mine is above the stove so i turn on the light under the microwave for the stove and that warms the inside of the microwave just perfectly. i read this somewhere as a hint but i don't remember where.

[Robyncz]

I have lights under my top cabinets that heat up a bit. I put my dough on top of a flour canister beneath the under-cabinet lights. Out of the way and just enough extra heat to keep things moving.

[Andrea_2]

The latest Cook's Illustrated had this tip, but I haven't tried it yet.

1) Place a coffee mug filled with 1/2 cup water in the microwave. Run the microwave on high for about 1 minute.

2) Open the door to the microwave, push the cup to the back corner, and set the dough inside. Close the door and let the bread rise. (The warmed mug will keep the interior between 80 and 90 degrees for up to 90 minutes.)Remove the dough once it has doubled in size or reach the desired volume in your recipe.

I tried this tonight while making some Naan bread, and it worked great! Thanks for the tip! I'm going to use that method from now on.

[mackandme]

I put it under an electric blanket.

[Kathy B]

In the winter when our home's thermostat is set somewhere in the 60's, I turn my electric oven on to preheat to the lowest setting (170 degrees) and leave it on for one minute. Then I turn the oven off and set the covered bowl inside. This gets the oven temp to 75-80 degrees which works very well.

In the summer, I just leave it covered in the sun on the table or on the back of the stove.

[cherylopal]

I put it under an electric blanket.


that just reminded me- i read somewhere and tried it that you could use a heating pad set on low- place your covered bowl on top. i think this was from the bread bakers assistant?? it worked nicely but i prefer the microwave method.

[McSix]

I also turn the oven on for 60 seconds, turn if off, and leave the dough covered with the towel in there. It has never failed to work perfectly.

[heavy hedonist]

I leave mine covered with a tea towel on top of my fridge-- protected from drafts, out of the way, and warm.

[Kyra]

I used to cover my rising dough with a moist dishtowel, but now I used greased plastic wrap instead--in the winter, the damp towel would get awfully cold.

I let my bread dough rise in a big ceramic bowl. In the winter, I preheat the bowl with hot water (because the cabinet the bowl lives in is on an outside wall, and it's cold in there).

I also use my microwave as a "proofing oven" in cold weather-I boil some water in it first, or get a dishtowel wet and nuke it for a couple of minutes, then set the bowl on the warm towel. If it's reasonably warm in the house, I just let the dough rise at room temperature. Or, if it's warmer outside than inside, I sometimes put the dough outside--works great in warm, humid Ohio weather!

I read somewhere that a good place to put your dough to rise in the winter is on top of your hot water heater--has anyone ever tried this?

[UnGourmetGal]

This is just a little off topic...I have a mega huge bag of instant yeast that has been sitting in my cupboard forever and the expiration is Dec. 2005 I have never opened the bag, do you think it is still good? Should I just open it up and test the yeast in some warm water?

[CompassRose]

I grease the top, and usually just turn the ball over in the bowl I kneaded it in (wherever possible I knead in the bowl, since I HATE the way flour flies around the kitchen and counter when I knead on a board). Cover with a damp towel, then put the lot in a grocery bag.

Then, I take a few of the top pieces of c**p out of the right-side shelf of the sideboard in my kitchen, which stands right in front of the heat vent. This leaves enough room for the bowl, and I slide it in, shut the door, and leave it there.

In the summer, I usually do the same thing with towel and bag, and leave the bowl on top of the fridge. I don't think with the bag on top that "draft-free" is such an overwhelming concern.

[HealthyinMN]

Should I just open it up and test the yeast in some warm water?

That would be the best way to tell if you are unsure.

[Grace]

This is just a little off topic...I have a mega huge bag of instant yeast that has been sitting in my cupboard forever and the expiration is Dec. 2005 I have never opened the bag, do you think it is still good? Should I just open it up and test the yeast in some warm water?


If it's never been opened (and it was vacuum sealed) then it is very likely still good. Once you open it, close it again tightly and store it in the freezer. It will keep a long time that way. The King Arthur Catalog says not to pay much attention to the expiration dates on the big bags - they are packaged for food service use where they go through yeast very quickly and is typically left out in the open on a shelf. They said the yeast is good much longer than the date on the bag particularly if it's kept in the freezer.

[Kathy B]

The King Arthur Catalog says not to pay much attention to the expiration dates on the big bags - they are packaged for food service use where they go through yeast very quickly and is typically left out in the open on a shelf. They said the yeast is good much longer than the date on the bag particularly if it's kept in the freezer.

Thanks for that tip, Grace. I DO keep my big bags in the freezer, but I didn't know that the expiration date was not really meaningful. Good to know!

[UnGourmetGal]

Thanks for the tip! I was thinking about freezing, but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea.

[JLS]

I cover bread/pizza dough with a dish towel and put it in a closet to rise.

[teatime]

This may seem gross, but we have electric heat in our bathrooms (so we can make them really warm when we need them warm without making the rest of the house hot, so I crank up the heat, shut the door and let my bread rise on my bathroom counter (it is clean in there - I promise). I put a timer on downstairs so I'll remember it.

[WhammerJammer]

I use my microwave - it's above the stove light, which is usually on. I also have used my laundry/furnace room - it's quite warm in the winter. :)