Many people are hesitant to bake with yeast dough. A common worry about baking bread, pizza, or other pastries is that the dough won't rise enough. Let me show you my simple, tried-and-true method for rising dough in the oven, which ensures constantly a perfect result even if you are a beginner!
The basic idea is that you already have smooth, kneaded dough made from the ingredients in the recipe. The types of yeast you used include either active dry yeast or fresh yeast.
Now the recipe says to let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size.
Here's what you do:
Fill a pot or larger mug with hot steaming water.
Place the pot of water in the bottom of your turned-off oven.
Move the oven rack to the upper position so that you can still place a bowl of dough on it.
Put the bowl of dough on a wire rack, ideally in a corner, so that it doesn't sit directly above the pot of steaming water.
Close the oven door and let the dough rise. Do not turn on the oven, not even to the lowest temperature!
This technique is equally effective for shaped dough or dough in a bowl.
5 Benefits of rising dough in the oven
Hot water and steam create the perfect conditions for the dough to rise inside the oven. They help achieve consistent results with better flavor development and texture.
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.
This method will allow the dough to rise in any outdoor conditions, for example, if your house is cold in the winter months or your kitchen is drafty.
Rising the dough in a turned-off oven with a pot of hot water will ensure an even distribution of mild heat without damaging the dough.
I learned this oven-proofing method many years ago while working as a student in a professional bakery.
They had there high racks into which we stacked baking sheets with pastries. We always moved the racks to a large steam room, which was warm and full of moisture. The dough inside was rising like crazy!
For my home baking, I found a clear answer to the question of where to rise dough and how to speed up the rising process.
Frequently asked questions
Why does yeast dough rise?
Yeast dough rises due to the production of carbon dioxide gas that is released by the yeast. This gas gets trapped in the dough, causing it to expand and rise.
How long does it take for dough to double in size?
Generally speaking, yeast dough needs 1-3 hours to double in size. The rise time is affected not only by the environment in which the dough is allowed to rise but also by the amount of fat in the dough. The more fat in the dough, the heavier it is and the longer it takes to rise. While light doughs for bread or dumplings rise faster, rich doughs for sweet pastries require much more time.
What if my dough does not rise, even in the oven?
There are several possible reasons your dough may not be rising, even in the warm and moist environment of the oven. One of the most common causes is that the yeast you are using is old or weak. Another possible reason is that you didn't dissolve the yeast in warm liquid with a little bit of sugar before pouring it into the dough. Furthermore, if you used too much flour or not enough liquid, the dough may not rise as desired.
what temp do you turn the oven up to before turning it off (i apologize if you stated this)..
Reply
Petra Kupská
Hi, the oven is turned off, and I just placea pot of warm to hot water on the bottom—just 1 to 2 inches. By closing the oven door, you create an ideal, moist, and warm environment inside for the yeast dough to rise.
Move the oven rack to the upper position so that you can still place a bowl of dough on it. Put the bowl of dough on a wire rack, ideally in a corner, so that it doesn't sit directly above the pot of steaming water. Close the oven door and let the dough rise. Do not turn on the oven, not even to the lowest temperature!
On lowest oven temperature to preheat: Turn the oven to the lowest oven temperature for about 2 minutes. Then turn off the oven, open the door and add the dough (in a covered glass bowl). This will be a cozy spot for your dough to rise. Don't forget to turn off the oven!
When making a refrigerated dough , mix and knead then place in covered bowl in refrigerator to rise. Dough will double in bulk before it becomes chilled. Shape into bread or rolls and bake it the next day. Sometimes when refrigerated this method is called COOL-PROOFED OR COOL-RISE METHOD.
When you add yeast to water and flour to create dough, it eats up the sugars in the flour and excretes carbon dioxide gas and ethanol — this process is called fermentation. The gluten in the dough traps the carbon dioxide gas, preventing it from escaping. The only place for it to go is up, and so the bread rises.
For a good balance between flavor development and yeast activity in lean doughs, consider a temperature of 75-78°F (24-26°C). Sweet doughs and croissants contain butter and do well at warm temperatures but below the melting point of butter. We recommend 75-80°F (24-27 °C) for these doughs.
Yeast is too hot Yeast may have been dissolved in water that was too hot, or the liquid ingredients in the recipe may be too hot, causing the yeast to die. Yeast needs to be warm - not too hot, not too cold. Yeast is too cold If the other ingredients are too cold, it could cause some of the yeast to die.
For models with this feature, you use the PROOF pad to create the perfect oven environment for activating yeast in homemade bread. When using the Proof feature, the halogen oven light is illuminated to provide the warm temperature needed to help yeast rise during the proofing process.
The problem: Develop deeper flavor in simple yeast or sourdough bread recipes. The fix: Cold fermentation. A method to slow down the rise of dough allowing a deeper development of flavor complexity.
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.
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.
Put the bowl of dough on a wire rack, ideally in a corner, so that it doesn't sit directly above the pot of steaming water.Close the oven door and let the dough rise. Do not turn on the oven, not even to the lowest temperature!
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.
What bakers call the “poke test” is the best way to tell if dough is ready to bake after its second rise. Lightly flour your finger and poke the dough down about 1".If the indent stays, it's ready to bake.If it pops back out, give it a bit more time.
As the water continues to steam in the closed microwave, it creates a warm, humid environment, similar to that of a bread dough proofer. The warmer and more humid the air is, the faster the bread should rise.
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