Why Do Some Bread Recipes Call For a Second Rise? (2024)
Amateur bakers quickly learn that making bread is a waiting game. Depending on the recipe and type of yeast used, rising alone can take anywhere from three to 24 hours, meaning that a lot of a baker's energy goes toward keeping an eye on towel-covered dough. The entire process results in something delicious, but can potentially overwhelm first-timers who aren't prepared to spend the afternoon worrying about whether their loaves have doubled in size.
Understandably, home bakers might wonder why some breads spend so much time rising. More to the point, why do some loaves need to rise a second time at all? The answer has a lot to do with how bakers achieve the desired texture for different types of loaves.
Rising, or proofing, is the process by which yeasted breads achieve their structure and height. When active, yeast converts sugar and other foods into gas, which is then trapped by the dough. The same process can be observed in sourdough starter, which tends to rise in volume after it's been fed.
The gas bubbles created during the first rise create the types of loaves known for their craterous holes. Breads like this focaccia, for example, are usually only given one rise; English muffins, too, derive their nooks and crannies from a single rise. Breads with a tighter, smoother crumb structure require a bit more help from the baker, however, which is why the chef is next instructed to push out all the gas that the yeast has just put into the dough.
By deflating — or punching down — the dough after the first rise, the baker is allowing the yeast to move to areas where more sugars are available. The yeast can then repeat the same process during the second rise and create more gas to be trapped in the dough. Because the yeast has already exhausted some of the dough's food supply, it won't be as energetic and will create much smaller air bubbles. Those smaller bubbles will allow for a texture more suited to sandwich bread, however, and will result in hardier bread. After a second rise, bakers can finish up beautiful loaves like this rich chocolate babka or this salt-rising bread.
Some recipes demand a third rise. This white bread, for example, credits its softness to its additional proof. Most recipes stop at the second, however, so as not to fully exhaust the yeast, which continues to contribute to rising while in the oven.
When going through the rising steps, it's important not to overproof your bread. After the first rise, most experts recommend pressing a finger into the dough. If it holds its shape, then it's ready for the next step. After the second rise, however, a baker is looking for the dough to spring back at her slowly when she pokes it. The second proving has given the bread more elasticity, and made it harder to deflate the air.
Second rises may add significantly to the total time it takes to complete a loaf of bread, but the step can be essential to achieving the taste and texture inherent to a number of popular breads. By understanding how the rising process affects dough, bakers can better choose whether they want their bread to rise, and how many times it will need to do so to achieve the end result.
Much of the air was knocked out of the dough while shaping, so this is a chance for the dough to expand again before baking. This step is sometimes called second rise or second proof. Absolutely No-Knead Crusty-Chewy Bread undergoes its final proof directly in the Dutch oven in which it bakes.
The second proving has given the bread more elasticity, and made it harder to deflate the air. Second rises may add significantly to the total time it takes to complete a loaf of bread, but the step can be essential to achieving the taste and texture inherent to a number of popular breads.
The short answer is – cover it to prevent it from drying out. And there is no good reason not to cover. But of course, there are things to consider. We all know to cover our dough so that it does not develop a dry skin on its surface which can give it an unpleasant look and texture.
Most bread recipes have two rises, a first rise (also called bulk fermentation), and a second or final rise. You can chill your dough during either the first or second rise. Your yeast won't give you much love if it's asked to do both rises in the fridge, so it's best to do one or the other at room temperature.
“While you have some wiggle room with the first rise, the second rise needs to be more accurate to get a nice full loaf,” Maggie explains. If baked too soon or too late, loaves can collapse and have a dense, gummy center. “There are so many factors that affect rise time, so exact time will vary for every baker.
Similar to the signs of over proofed dough, an over proofed loaf will be very flat, without much rise or retention of shaping. Over proofing destroys the structural integrity of the bread, so loaves that have gone over are unable to hold their shape in the oven.
Gently press your finger into the dough on the top. If the dough springs back quickly, it's underproofed. If it springs back very slowly, it's properly proofed and ready to bake. Finally, if it never springs back, the dough is overproofed.
If you come back to your rising loaf and see that it's oversized and puffy, turn the dough out of the pan and reshape it. Return the dough to the pan and set a timer for 20 minutes (each rise goes faster than the last).
While it's safe to keep many baked goods at room temperature, it depends on the item and should be taken on a case-by-case basis. For instance, breads and rolls can last up to four days at room temperature, but any bread with meat or hard-boiled eggs should be refrigerated within two hours, according to the USDA.
Yes!If a recipe calls for proofing bread dough overnight in the refrigerator, it can be proofed on the counter at a warmer temperature for a shorter period. Rather than placing the dough in the refrigerator overnight, leave it covered on the counter for 1 to 4 hours until it's ready to bake.
For best results, we want a non-porous, tight-fitting cover that will keep the dough from becoming too cool or developing a skin. And a towel doesn't cut it: The porous material allows heat to escape, causing the dough to lose temperature.
At which point during the dough making process would it be best to freeze or refrigerate? You can refrigerate the dough after almost any step, but after the first rise (or a little before) works best. Store it, covered, in the refrigerator for 1-3* days. Allow room for the dough to expand as it will continue to rise.
Everything's coming together when you discover that your bread dough just isn't rising. Fortunately, this is a problem that's relatively easy to diagnose and solve. If your bread dough doesn't rise, you can still use it and fix it by changing up the temperature or mixing in more yeast.
Too much yeast—While it seems counterintuitive, too much yeast can actually cause your bread to collapse. The yeast will make the bread rise like crazy, but later it all falls in on itself. Try decreasing yeast by ¼ to ½ teaspoon.
A lot of the reasons for the second rise is the texture. The reason for a long fermentation is to not only enhance the flavor but develop the gluten structure. There are recipes that do not do anything but let the dough ferment and the longer the better.
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