Loading…
13
The bakery counter in Philly that taught me to trust my gut on proofing times
Last month I stopped at a small corner bakery near Reading Terminal Market and watched the baker pull loaves that had clearly overproofed, but he shaped them anyway and they came out with this amazing open crumb. I asked him about it and he said he stopped watching the clock years ago, he just waits until the dough feels like a water balloon that's about to burst. That got me thinking about all the times I've tossed dough because the recipe said 45 minutes and it wasn't doubled yet. Now I'm trying to slow down and go by feel, but my kitchen runs cold so I'm still second guessing myself at hour one. Has anyone else found that their proofing times are way off from what recipes say, especially in winter apartments? I'd love to hear what visual cues you trust more than timers.
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
wesley_jones1mo ago
My last loaf sat for 3 hours in my 65 degree apartment kitchen and I finally poked it and it just sighed and gave up on life. My wife walked by and asked if I was waiting for it to grow legs and walk out the door. The whole doubled in size thing never happens for me in January, so now I just go by the poke test and honestly the bread has been better since I stopped stressing over the clock. That water balloon line from the baker is spot on, when it jiggles like a full belly and leaves a dent that springs back slow, that's when I shape it. Cold kitchens just need more patience, the dough doesn't know what the recipe card says.
3