April 15, 2009 - 9:11am
proof box and low rising sourdough
How necessary is a proofing box? My sourdough loaves taste great but I'm not getting the rise I usually get with commecially yeasted breads. Would a proof box help remedy this? Does one use a proofing box set up only in keeping sourdough cultures warm enough to be active or is it also used in proofing the dough itself?
Share
My sourdoughs never rise like my yeasted breads, but they seem to have more oven spring. I read where Hammelman says that sourdough breads rise until they are very soft......
My sourdoughs are smaller when proofed but get great oven spring too if I use an improvised cloche.
As far as your question concerning a proofing box, I don't use one for starters or white sourdoughs. Sometimes, I will use one when proofing 100% whole wheat bread. I have one area of my house that is about 75º; sometimes I will put something there because I am in a hurry.
But, if I think the proof is small, I will most likely just use the cloche.
--Pamela
If you need to proof a loaf one way to do it is to place it in the microwave, a cardboard box or just the oven along with a bowl of boiling water. The water will increase the humidity in the box and bring up the temp just slightly.
I suppose I should reword my question: why aren't my sourdough loaves rising well? Could it be the sourdough culture itself isn't active enough? And would that be handled by putting the culture in a warmer environment, like an oven with some warm water or a box or a microwave? Or could it be the dough itself isn't proofing well. And would that be handled by putting the loaf in a warmer environment?
Since you said that your sourdough loaves don't rise as well as your commerical yeast breads do, and presuming that the temperature of the room is the same for both, then you have to look to your starter as the cause.
How old is your culture? Is it kept in a jar in your kitchen or is it refrigerated? Do you refresh it a couple of times 24 hours before you use it? You don't need to warm it up in your oven, but you do need to feed it. Try using a portion of organic rye the next time you refresh it. That will give it a nice enzyme kick.
I don't know what recipe you are following, but I'm also curious about the water. Do you fill your container from the cold water tap or use refrigerated water? Wheat-based doughs ferment best when the dough temperature is between 75-78F after mixing (unless the recipe specifically states cold water should be used).
Try refreshing your culture daily or twice a day for about a week before you bake with it again and see if that makes a difference.
Hi, mizrachi.
Are you saying that your sourdough doughs don't rise as much as your yeasted doughs in the same time and temperature?
If so, that is expectable. Not a problem. You get better flavor development with a long, slow rise. Don't rush it.
Depending on how much levain your dough has and the ambient temperature, it may take 3-12+ hours to double. A yeasted dough generally doubles in 1.5-2 hours, although you can slow it down by using less yeast. Some do that, in order to enhance the bread's flavor.
David
So it must be that I just didn't allow it to rise long enough. Since the taste will still good, I figured the sourdough culture was in fact active. Now I'll have to learn some patience and let the dough rise! Thanks all for your help!