September 11, 2020 - 2:21pm
Proofing Tests
My recipe calls for a 1st (bulk fermentation) proofing of about 2-3 hrs, followed by bread shaping, followed by a 2nd proofing (of about 1- 2 hours). Is it sufficient for only the 2nd proofing to pass a finger-poke, window-pane, etc test to show that the dough is ready to be baked?
What if any test(s) should be applied to the 1st proof?
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Window pane test is for bulk fermentation, not proofing after you shaped your bread. Trying to make a windowpane from a shaped loaf would surely destroy the shape :)
Following up on Ilya, as I understand it, the windowpane test tests the strength of the dough, and is normally at the end of kneading prior to bulk ferment. There are no sure fire tests of whether a loaf has proofed long enough to end bulk ferment and start the shaping process, but many suggest percentage of rise is helpful. So if the recipe says increase in volume by half - you could put the dough in a straight sided container, and use a rubber band or mark to mark the height, then remove it when it hits a mark that is 50% higher. If you don't use a straight sided container, you could use an aliquot jar - do a search here and you will find several posts by Benito on that topic.
Thanks for the advice--
The essence of my question is:
What should I be testing for at the end of the 1st proof - at the end of bulk-ferment?
What should I be testing for at the end of the 2nd proof - just prior to baking?
For the end of bulk, again there aren’t any tests that I am aware of to use on the dough to see if it is ready to be shaped for final proof. There are characteristic things to look for however. The dough should have a jello like jiggle when you gently shake it. It should be domed on top and there should be some bubbles visible at the sides of the bowl. The more you bake the more you will recognize how the dough will look and feel when it is ready, however, until you’ve baked successfully properly fermented dough, it can be hard to know.
For those of us newer to the game, or who want to adjust the degree of bulk fermentation from bake to bake I use the aliquot jar. It has been especially helpful for those of us baking baguettes in the community bake because of how we can fine tune the bulk. Anyhow, read about it HERE.