March 17, 2019 - 11:29am
b&t proofing with sheet pans?
Hi:
I've been considering getting the B&T proofer. I've read all about it, and in theory it seems great but still on fence mostly because it seems only quarter sheet pans will fit inside - which doesn't seem useful if I'm making laminated dough pastries. The shelf kit will let me put two quarter sheet pans in, but then.. that's only good for what, maybe 8 full size croissants (triangle pre rolling is 4x9 inches)?
Thus far I've been using my car as the proofing box :D obviously not very good. I know it's easy to make with a light bulb and a beer cooler, but the B&T just seems so slick.
How do you all handle proofing baked goods that need space and are baked on sheet pans?
Thanks for your time.
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considering there is no competition on the market.
You can squeeze a half sheet pan in the BT but the sides will be bulging, and its lid won't fit. When this happens, I use an oversized plastic container to cover the whole thing. The biggest issue of BT is heat loss due to its flimsy construction. Its foldable feature hinders the usage of more sturdy materials. You can counter the issue by jacking up the temperature and covering the setup with a blankie until the temperature stabilizes at where you want. Once the temperature stabilizes, it does a decent job maintaining it if the surrounding conditions remain constant.
I use the proofing function of my oven if I need to prove on a sheet pan.
I've seen some sophisticated DIY proofer designs on the forum. If you are handy, build your own. BT is a shortcut, but it comes with headaches.
Yippee
You saved me $180. :)
I will build my own, seems easy enough for a weekend project, found a few threads. Having trouble figuring out how to make it dual-use though, so it would cool as well for retarding! Hmmm, that could come later I suppose.
You'll be a winner if you can tackle this challenge.
This was the easiest solution for me, but it's probably not big enough for you.
Supplies:
I purchased an incubator thermostat for about $20 which controls a power outlet based on temperature. You set a threshold, you set either warming mode or cooling mode, and it turns off power once it goes above (or below) the threshold, with 1C hysteresis.
Maybe the new trend will be bakers building greenhouse-like structures in their back yards. ?
When it's just a few, I use bun pan covers and stack them in a warm spot under a blanket. I can usually do 4-5 half sheet pans at the most. If it's more (not often now), I'll stack them in the bathroom, having run the shower hot to provide warmth and humidity. Weird, I know, but my family has forgiven me the odd tower of covered pans for the promise of fresh rolls.
You could also try putting a shelving unit above your stove or on top of your fridge, or above your clothes dryer if there's space.
For larger efforts, you could do what a colleague set up (we were a ragtag bunch trying to make our budget stretch at a local college) -- a rolling rack with a heavy plastic cover, and a camp stove with a pot of water on the bottom. This works best if you have perforated sheet pans.
rolling rack heavy cover butane stove