Better Bread-Making: Making Dough Rise Faster
Welcome Back to the Better Bread-making Series!
Bread-making involves a small amount of preparation and a lot of waiting around in between steps. There are a lot of things that can add to the length of time it takes to make bread. There are also a few things you can do to make dough rise faster. Let me share with you a couple time-savers so you can move from flour in the bag to bread on the cutting board faster.
Waiting for the dough to rise is the longest aspect of making yeast bread. Lots of hurry up and wait. For the dough to rise faster, you may need it give the yeast a boost.
Ways to make dough rise faster
Yeast may be a microorganism, but it has a big personality. Depending on the weather, the temperature, the environment in which it’s kept, and what you feed it, yeast acts differently. So let’s talk about a few ways to optimize your conditions so yeast will be more active and shorten the bread-making process when you’ve got a serious craving for hot fresh bread. Or you know, you’re short on time leading up to a get-together.
Temperature
Yeast is pretty finicky when it comes to optimum rising temperature. To begin with, you will want to bloom your yeast between 105°F and 115°F. Any hotter than 120°F and your yeast will likely die and you’ll have to start over. A probe thermometer is a good way to test your water or milk temperature before adding yeast.
Secondly, if your room is particularly cool (below 80°F), The yeast will act lazy and take its sweet time rising. If your room is above 90°F, you run the risk of the yeast over-proofing, or even dying because it’s just too hot.
It’s a little unreasonable to keep your whole house at that temperature just to make bread. preheating your oven just until it reaches about 90°F and turning it off will create a nice warm environment for your dough. You can also put hot water in a heat-safe dish and place it on the floor of a cold oven (or on a lower shelf). The steam and heat from the water will help the temperature rise just enough that the yeast is active. The steam will also assist in keeping the surface of the dough moist so it will stretch as it rises.
Acid
Adding acid to your dough is like handing yeast an energy drink. It helps make the yeast more active, and that means a shorter rise time. It also adds just a little bit of tang which helps make up for the shorter fermentation process.
What is fermentation? This is simply when the yeast does its thing, expanding and creating air pockets in the dough.
Acids like white vinegar or citrus juices are very helpful to both speed up the process and punch up the flavor.
- For a neutral flavor, add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the rest of the ingredients
- Add a tablespoon of lemon or orange juice if either would enhance your flavor profile
It’s that simple. If you like, keep a notebook to track the different techniques you experiment with.
I hope you give this tip a try. Keep experimenting. Keep baking.
Want another time-saving tip? Check out this post about yeast.
Happy baking!
Sarah, The Bread Lady
Want to read more about Better Bread-Making? Here are a few articles you may have missed!
Better Bread-Making: Get the Flavor You Crave
Better Bread-Making: The Proof is in the Bloom
FAQs
There are two conditions you need in order to make yeast flourish in your dough: moisture and warmth. Moisture and humidity in the air can vary greatly from day to day and season to season. If your house is humid, your dough will rise faster.
How can I get my dough to rise faster? ›
But almost as good as a proofing box is taking a Mason jar filled halfway up with water, microwaving it for two minutes, then putting your bowl of dough into the microwave with the jar to rise. The other thing you can do is place your lidded container or bowl of dough into a second, larger bowl of warm water.
Why is my bread dough rising so fast? ›
If the temperature and humidity in your kitchen are high, it's likely your dough will rise faster than you expect. On the flip side, expect longer rise times when the air is cold and dry.
What is the secret to bread rising? ›
It's hard to get bread to rise in a cold house. My favorite way to counter a cold house is to boil water in a small pot then place the pot on the lower baking rack of the (turned off) oven, place the bread on the top rack, and shut the oven door while the bread rises.
What conditions help dough rise more? ›
Adding Humidity
Yeast loves humidity, and doughs need moisture to prevent a dry skin from forming on the outside of the dough. The Proofer's water tray helps maintain ideal humidity 60-80% for rising dough. Most doughs and shaped loaves will not need to be covered while in the Proofer.
Does adding more yeast make dough rise faster? ›
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. However, whilst your dough may rise quickly, the dough will likely have less flavour and may even taste slightly of yeast.
Can I put my dough in the oven to rise? ›
The moist, warm environment makes dough rise faster than simply letting it sit on the counter. The humidity inside the oven will keep the dough from drying out while rising. You don't need to cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.
How to rise bread in a cold house? ›
I do this, too, only I put my bowl in my regular oven with a cup of very hot water. I also leave the oven's light on, which generates just a little heat. Works like a charm! If I have food in the oven and can't use it, I've also put my covered bowl on top of a heating pad set on its lowest setting.
Where is the warm place for bread to rise? ›
An airing cupboard is usually a good place to leave dough to rise but dough can rise in most places (you can even leave it to rise in the refrigerator overnight) it will just take slightly longer at a lower temperature. A warm kitchen worktop, sunny windowsill or somewhere close to a radiator often works.
What happens if you put too much yeast in bread? ›
This can affect the bread by adding a "yeasty" taste if you put too much into the dough. General amounts of yeast are around 1 - 2 % of the flour, by weight. Too much yeast could cause the dough to go flat by releasing gas before the flour is ready to expand.
My method for baking bread dough in a Dutch oven: Preheat your home oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Dutch oven inside for 30 to 45 minutes.
How long should bread rise the first time? ›
The secret of successful rising
Most recipes call for the bread to double in size – this can take one to three hours, depending on the temperature, moisture in the dough, the development of the gluten, and the ingredients used. Generally speaking, a warm, humid environment is best for rising bread.
Do you cover bread while its rising? ›
These dry patches won't stretch during rising to develop an elastic dough, resulting in a dense, squat loaf – not something you want! For best results, use a non-porous, tight fitting cover such as a saucepan lid, bowl cover or even a sheet pan laid on top of the bowl, weighted down with something.
Where is the best place to let dough rise? ›
The best place for your dough to rise is your oven – when it is switched off! Experts advise that you preheat your oven then have it cool down a little before explaining the dough in it to rise. The key to achieving this is ensuring that your oven is going to stay warm enough to facilitate rising, but be careful.
Where is the best place for dough to rise? ›
A great warm spot to let your dough rise is on top of a heating pad. Place your covered bowl of dough on top of a heating pad on its lowest setting. The dough will proof away and rise faster than if left at room temperature.
Does kneading dough make it rise faster? ›
This structure allows for trapping of gases so the bread will rise up nice and high. And gluten is what makes bread deliciously chewy. If you don't knead your dough, your baked bread won't rise as high, and the overall texture and appearance will be dense.
Does baking soda make bread rise more? ›
Baking powder and baking soda are both leavening agents, which means they cause dough or batter to expand by releasing gas. Yeast is another leavening agent you might know about.
Does sugar make bread rise faster? ›
A dough that has a high percentage of sugar (10% or more) will need more yeast than a bread made without sugar and will take a longer time to rise. A dough with more than 5% sugar (to flour weight) will brown on the surface earlier in the baking time than a dough with no added sugar or with less than 5%.
What baking agent causes the dough to rise? ›
A leavening agent is a substance that causes dough to expand by releasing gas once mixed with liquid, acid or heat. Rising agents give baked goods optimal volume, texture and crumb and can include baking soda or baking powder, whipped egg whites or cream, active or instant dry yeast, and even steam.
