Proof Bread Faster With An Unexpected Part Of Your Oven

Bread dough, as I've learned over the years, is a finicky and quirky substance to work with in the kitchen. That's because there are so many variables involved in its success including the different types of flour you can use, achieving the proper hydration levels, and of course, having to gently coax yeast to do its thing in order to leaven your dough. I like to think of the dough as a living creature, meaning it needs some tender love and care to really thrive.

One of the steps in making a successful loaf involves time, patience, and the right ambient temperature to encourage your dough to rise. With winter weather upon us, our kitchens naturally get a little cooler, but there's an interesting trick you can use to proof your bread dough a little faster during cold months. If you find that it's taking forever to rise, simply turn on your oven's internal light (not the oven itself!) and let the rising dough rest in the oven. The bulb itself emits a bit of heat, and with the insulation of the oven keeping the ambient warmth in, this makes for a good environment for your bread to rise. I can personally vouch for this method — we have a drafty kitchen, and sometimes my dough just needs a cozier place to hang out while it does its thing. 

Dough proofing temperatures can admittedly get a little complicated because there's multiple methods for it, including cold proofing (where you keep the dough in your fridge for an extended period of time). For today's purposes, I'm specifically addressing room temperature proofing, where you'll want to keep your dough out at ambient temperature from anywhere between one to four hours to get it to rise a little quicker.

Ideally, you're looking to target 75 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, but since hitting an exact temperature in one specific area is damn near impossible to achieve without an actual proofing device, even the low 70s will do. Sometimes our kitchens are naturally cooler or warmer, but don't stress; just make sure you're monitoring your dough to see how it's progressing by using the tried-and-true poke test. This is where you lightly dust your finger with flour and poke at your dough — if the indentation stays and doesn't bounce back right away, you're good to start baking. The oven light trick just speeds things up a little so you're not stuck waiting for an extra few hours just to get your bake on. If you're inspired to bake now, we've got some easy bread recipes for you. And get ready, because your home is about to smell just like a bakery.