Cold Proofing and Rising

Gluten-free bread baking diverges from traditional bread baking in the number of rising cycles it requires. Traditional bread doughs have two and sometimes three rising cycles and are often “punched down” in between these risings. In gluten-free bread baking, there is a single rise and it takes place in the fridge. (Sometimes a short period of rising in a warm place is called for after the dough is placed in a bread pan, but this takes a maximum of 20 minutes, not a couple of hours.) You also won’t need to punch down the dough. So as you read the bread recipes, don’t be completely shocked that these steps are missing—it’s just the law of the land.