Rising

Appears in
The New Food Processor Bible: 30th Anniversary Edition
The New Food Processor Bible

By Norene Gilletz

Published 2011

  • About
  • Let dough rise once or twice before shaping, then once after shaping. It can rise either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
  • At room temperature (80°F), the dough will take 1 to 1½ hours to double. Multigrain breads take slightly longer, 1½ to 2 hours. A second rising takes about half the time, ¾ to 1 hour. Rising time varies, depending on the temperature and humidity. Don’t let the dough get too warm during rising or it will develop a yeasty taste.
  • If you’re letting it rise in the refrigerator, make sure there is enough room between the shelves for the dough to rise. If the dough is made with butter or margarine, let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour before refrigerating.
  • If you are busy, refrigerate the dough (or a shaped loaf) at any point to slow down the rising process. Dough made with water will keep 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Dough made with milk will keep 3 to 4 days. Remove dough from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about half an hour before completing the recipe.
  • THE FINGER TEST: To test if the dough has risen enough, poke your finger into it. If the dough slowly springs back but not completely, it is ready. If it springs back right away, it isn’t ready. If the dent remains, the dough is over-risen.
  • Punch down the dough by plunging your fist into the center. Fold the outside edges into the center to release gases and redistribute the yeast. If you have time, let the dough rise a second time for a finer texture.
  • SHAPING: Punch down the dough before shaping. Let it rest for about 5 minutes for easier handling. (If you don’t, the dough will be very springy when you try to roll it out.)
  • BRAIDING: Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, then line up the ropes parallel to each other. Start at the middle and braid towards you; press ends together and tuck them under. Turn the loaf around and braid towards you once again. Press ends together and tuck them under.
  • PREPARING BAKING PANS: Spray loaf pans with nonstick spray. Line baking sheets with parchment paper—it’s considered oven-safe to 400°F. (I’ve even used it in a 425°F oven if the baking time is 15 minutes or less.) Many bakers like to use a nonstick silicone baking mat (Silpat)—it’s oven-safe to 500°F. If the oven temperature called for in a recipe is higher than 400°F, you can line baking sheets with aluminum foil, then spray with nonstick spray. Line muffin pans with paper baking liners for easy cleanup.
  • RISE AND SHINE! Place the shaped dough in/on prepared baking pans. Cover dough with a towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled (about 1 hour for room-temperature dough, 2 to 3 hours for refrigerated dough). Or put the baking pan into a large plastic food-safe bag, closing it loosely. (Garbage bags are not food-safe as they’ve been treated with chemicals.) Glazing is best done after shaping and rising.
  • If yeast breads rise for too long, the gluten strands will break and the bread will collapse. Once the breads have been shaped, they should not rise to more than double in size before baking.
  • GLAZING OPTIONS: Brush the dough with egg glaze (1 egg yolk mixed with 1 to 2 tsp water) just before baking. Coffee cakes and buns can be brushed with juice from canned fruit 10 minutes before baking is completed. Baker’s Glaze will give a lovely sheen to rye and pumpernickel breads.
  • Bake yeast breads in the middle or lower third of a preheated oven. There will be a final expansion known as “oven spring” in the first few minutes of baking.
  • FULL STEAM AHEAD! Many bread bakers like to add steam to the oven, as it softens the crust and lets yeast dough rise quickly to its maximum size. After placing the loaf in the oven, spray the walls quickly with water 8 to 10 times. Avoid spraying the oven light, heating coils and fan. Repeat spraying twice during the first 10 minutes of baking time. Open the oven door partway, spray quickly, then shut the door.
  • When done, yeast dough will be evenly browned and sound hollow when the crust is tapped lightly. Test by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the center of the loaf. A sandwich loaf reaches 195°F to 200°F, a rustic loaf reaches 200°F to 210°F, a whole-grain loaf reaches 210°F, and a sweet bread reaches 200°F. If the dough is browning too quickly during baking, cover it loosely with foil.
  • Remove breads from pans immediately after baking. Cool on a wire rack away from drafts.
  • FILL UP ON FIBER! Add ¼ cup wheat germ or ground flax seeds to your favorite bread doughs and muffins. You can also sprinkle whole flax seeds or sunflower, sesame or poppy seeds on top of loaves after brushing them with egg glaze.
  • FREEZE WITH EASE! Immediately after shaping, wrap unbaked dough airtight and freeze it for up to 1 month. When needed, remove it from the freezer. Place it on a sprayed baking sheet, cover and defrost at room temperature until it doubles in size, 6 to 7 hours. Bake as directed. Another option is to defrost dough in the refrigerator, then let it rise at room temperature until doubled. Baked breads, rolls, coffee cakes and muffins can be frozen for about 4 months if well wrapped.
  • Store bread in a plastic bag at room temperature or freeze it. Store crusty, artisanal-style bread in a paper bag—it loses its crispness if stored in plastic. Don’t store breads in the refrigerator. It draws out the moisture and the bread becomes stale faster. Wrap bread well in a plastic freezer bag, press out air and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • TO REFRESH STALE OR FROZEN BREAD, spray it with water, wrap in foil and warm in a 400°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool before unwrapping.