final proofing question
I have a Short (or half height) sheet pan rack that I use for my final proofing of my breads and pastry dough. I also have a plastic rack cover that I use when doing my final proof before baking. In the most recent past I have been using moist heat to assist in the proofing and keep the dough from drying out prior to baking. What I do is to either use hot tap water in a rectangular cake pan, or boil a small amount of water and place it in the cake pan, then place it on the bottom rack, then zip up the cover. This works pretty good except that sometimes the water cools down and the dough does not get a good moisture and heat to assist the final proof.
I have been looking for a way to either build a heating contraption or use something pre-built. I thought of an idea that I would like to get feedback from others on it.
I was thinking of purchasing a very inexpensive foot bath that has heat control. Of course it would be brand new and not previously used. Has anyone ever tried using one? I see that some are as cheap as $20 USD. I figured that I could place the water in it, turn it on and allow the steam to fill the rack with the made-up dough sheet pans in it. I could then either shut it off if too much moisture, or if it is regulated, just set the temp to as low as needed.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Have you thought about using an ultrasonic mister? A small one costs very little, under $20 for a 200ml unit and lasts for 4-6 hours, blowing fine mist inside the proofing cabinet or proofing room. It will evaporate a cup of water for you every 4-6hrs at any temperature.
Ultrasonic humidifiers make mist of very tiny water droplets - aerosols with a droplet size of 1-2 micro meter. These aerosols spread evenly in the proofing room without condensation.
They can be used in all kind of fermentation processes: conventional, retarded and interrupted. And they work at lower temperatures as well, even below zero, where the usual techniques cannot be used.
The only disadvantage is that they prefer distilled water, which is cheap of course and a gallon will last for a while, but still, it's an additional cost.
About the ultrasonic mister, but that seems like a viable solution. It would be better if it added some heat to the mist to assist in the proofing. I have been searching this morning online for misters. Thanks for the suggestions!
For warmth, both heating pads and heating blankets are available under $20 on sale. Must be without auto shut off feature. With a blanket, you can envelope the entire rack on a chilly day.
With a heating pad you can continue to use your current set up: hot tap water in a shallow baking pan sitting on top of the heating pad. It will be warm and humid inside.
The Brod & Taylor proofer is quite nice and precise in the temps it holds. It doesn't have a mister but comes with a small water tray that sits on the base (the entire base is the heating element) so that water evaporates. However, if a loaf is contained in a proofing bag, you wont need mist.
Downside? The B&T is $150-200.
Mist, per se. Just need warm moist air to help shorten final proofing time. I have seen proofing cabinets that have their own control box for humidity. Not needing something that expensive and cumbersome. Only working out of my home. Don't have a "bakery" so to speak.
I'm thinking about buying a "Vicks" warm steam vaporizer, just to see if it could do the job. Will update when I buy and experiment with it.
I have a reasonable large home made proofer. If I am doing a final proof in it (as opposed to a retarded final proof) I just put a large plastic mug of boiling water in it next to loaves.
This seems to do the trick.
Lance
Keep things the way they are. I don't bake every day. But, I do make large batches at one time (144 pieces of rolls, and usually 8 dozen of the brioche pastry). I will stick with the pan of hot water at the bottom of the rack. For now.
Thanks to all who made very useful suggestions!
I wanted a temperature controlled chamber, and after several false starts I settled on a big styrofoam shipping container with 3" thick walls, a $20 seed starter heater (20W/120VAC), and a super low power (quiet) 120VAC computer fan, run off of a temperature controller that has some hysteresis. (Parts list at the bottom). I use if for starter refresh and sourdough BF (@ 81°F), and fermenting injera batter or idli (at 99°F)
But if you need something big enough to proof a 1/2-sheet pan you will need to build your own box to fit. I have plans for one of those that I never built because I got a used styrofoam box from a neighbor who was getting food shipped to her home with dry ice during the pandemic. I can put up the plan if anybody is interested. It uses a sheet of 1.5" Rmax foil-faced isocyanurate foam which you may find at Home Depot or Lowes and you can put it together with Elmers white glue or yellow carpenters wood glue and some aluminum tape.
I found the parts list:
Johnson Controls temperature controller: ~$80
Less expensive but probably just as good: $35 Computer muffin fan less than $20 Plant seedling heating mat - there are lots of these for around $11 Plus your foam box with a tight fitting lid. 4’x 8’ x 1.5” polyisocyanurate foam board $20 at Home Depot or anything you can scrounge up. Foil tape - Home Depot 50’ ~ $10All the stuff mentioned here sound complicated and make my head hurt to digest. Nowadays, I proof all my doughs in the fridge, and this is not an overnight cold retard, as I don't do that anymore. After shaping, I would put it in the fridge immediately for a final proof of around 30 min to 1 hour then I take it out and bake it. My kitchen has been in 70 F consistently in the last 7 months so it is not warm at all. Sounds like something is wrong with your dough making process if you need all these unnecessary things and steps to get it done.
Everyone's situation is different, Ming. I can't speak for the OP, but my average kitchen temperature is about 63F for much of the year, so I view a proofer as an essential piece of kit; also, being able to ferment at a consistent temperature (normally 77F in my case) will help to give consistent timings.
And most commercial proofers will contain some kind of humidity control, and there is nothing wrong with trying to emulate that.
But each to their own methods!
Lance
Fair enough Lance. Sorry my response was intended for the OP. In any case, perhaps something is wrong with my dough making process :) as I find my doughs would ferment too fast for me to keep up. Nonetheless, like I said I do a final proof in the fridge uncovered and never had a drying problem and with minimum size increase but it would always explode in the oven. Happy baking everyone!!!
It's not about being a professional baker, but the $160 I spent for the B&T was a quick, reliable way to get a controlled proofing environment. I don't want to jury-rig things and I want something that's consistent. The B&T does that (it allegedly can also be a slow cooker but... eh).
I'm not saying my way is the only way (it's not) but it's straightforward, reliable and when i factor in my time, not really very expensive. Consider this - if you spend $50 doing someething DIY the marginal cost of the B&T is about $100. How much is your time worth not only to build somehting but to fix it if it needs it and to play with various doughs in a less controlled environment?
your point with your proofer. I took a look at the B&T you were mentioning. Are you talking about the bulk fermentation type of proofer? If so, then that is not what I am looking for. My bulk fermentation (initial rise) process is just fine. I was looking for something to place my made-up dough sheet pans (around anywhere from 6 to 10 sheet pans) into to assist in the final proof/rise and to maintain humidity just prior to baking.
Yeah, that's more space than the B&T will hold. It's between a bit less than 1/2 of a sheet pan in size.
I wonder if a Cambo approach would work, something like this https://www.cambro.com/Products/insulated-food-transport/insulated-front-loading-food-pan-carriers/1318cc-combo-carrier/
Preheat that (or put a heating pad in), put a pan of water on the bottom and let things rise (though I don't know about vertical headroom there).
If you were DIYing you could use the approach above and just find racks that have the right spacing, maybe on https://www.webstaurantstore.com
The Cambro units are similar to what I am looking for. These are a bit smaller than I would like, but this is on the right track as to what I would like. Thanks clevins!
I keep my house set around 68 to 72, depending. I, also want to maintain a fairly consistent process with my doughs. Thanks for your input Lance!
What you are talking about with "my dough making process". Are you directing this to the OP (me)? It takes my dough around two hours to do it's final rise prior to baking. This is to ensure that I have maximum rise. Trust me, I have been doing this product for over ten years. I am just wanting to shorten the final rise a little bit plus ensuring that I do not dry out the dough prior to baking it. I am okay with my current process of placing a pan of hot water on the bottom of my enclosed rack to allow the warmth and steam to circulate around my sheet pans (about 6 to 10, depending).