Getting Bread to Rise
Saturday, February 14, 2009 12:06One of the things that most intimidates bakers is the fear that their bread won’t rise. I know that fear. I’ve had it on many an occasion. But there are some things that will help the bread along and I want to share them with you.
The first tip I have is something you have seen me write about in my recipes: turning on the oven light.
Before I assemble ingredients, proof my yeast, or even start a recipe, I turn on the light in my oven. Why? Because it warms up the small space. Like many people, the temperature of my home can vary. The weather changes cause my thermostat to go up and down, and the summer brings air conditioning, which is anything but friendly to yeast. By using my oven light, I am creating a warm, draft-free environment that is stable and not to either side of the temperature extreme. The oven is the perfect place to let bread rise. When you are ready to bake, just take it out and let the bread sit on top of the oven while it preheats. Easy Peasy.
My other tip for helping bread to move along is from a book called Bakewise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking. The author, Shirley Corriher,
does an exceptional job of explaining why our ingredients do what they do. I am the kind of cook who is not simply satisfied with following a recipe. I want to know why it works, how it works, and what other ingredients will do when mixed in. I enjoy experimenting, and I would recommend that every baker who thinks that way buy a copy of this book.
In her book, Shirley explains how to use ascorbic acid, also known as Vitamin C, to help get the bread to rise. She simply advises adding it to the bread. I’ll be honest, I cannot remember the exact specifications she recommends. But here is what I have found to work best. You can buy ascorbic acid for baking at specialty shops or KAF or even at Amazon. Or, you can go to your local drug store and buy a thing of the tablets. Nothing fancy or coated. Just basic Vitamin C tablets. I did this, then I whirled it into a fine powder via my food processor. Yes, I did. I have it in an airtight jar, and every time I want to enhance my dough, I add 1/8 tsp. to the bowl.
Many artisan bread makers add ascorbic acid as a dough enhancer, as it makes the yeast work faster and longer. I love what it does with my lower gluten breads and wheat breads as well. Experiment and tell me what you think.
What are some of your favorite ways to enhance your bread or help get it to rise?
Asia says:
February 17th, 2009 at
I warm up a towel and place it over the bowl. I’ll have to try your oven trick, though!
Annalise says:
February 18th, 2009 at
I know that works for a lot of people, but my house fluctuates too much in temperature for that to be reliable enough for me, especially when a recipe calls for a two-hour rise.
Verdean says:
March 6th, 2009 at
This is great bread!! No trouble with the rising
Molly says:
March 25th, 2009 at
My oven doesn’t have a light… is there some other way?
Annalise says:
March 25th, 2009 at
As long as the area where your bread is rising is warm and draft-free, you should be okay. I don’t like to advise that people turn on their oven and then shut it off because the temperature isn’t regulated and the heat can sometimes kill the yeast. It also is really dry.
That said, I have a friend who puts a little water in the bowl and microwaves the bowl to get it hot. Then she empties the water, dries out the bowl, and puts the dough in it to rise. She just covers it with plastic wrap and then throws a couple of towles around it to keep it insulated. Maybe that would work for you?