Finally figured out my bread proofing issue after 6 months

I kept getting dense loaves that wouldn't spring in the oven. I tried different flours, different hydration levels, even bought a fancy thermometer for my oven. Turns out my kitchen was too cold for the bulk fermentation. After 6 months of bad bread I finally put the bowl in my oven with just the light on and now I get perfect oven spring every time. Anyone else have a weird simple fix that took forever to figure out?

3 comments

3 Comments

allen.iris1mo ago

I used to agree with calebc40 about cold kitchens being fine. My bread was always a bit flat but I blamed my shaping. Last winter I tried the oven light method as a test and the difference was huge. My dough doubled in half the time and the crumb opened up with those nice big holes. I guess my old yeast was just struggling in the cold and never got strong enough.

ross.lily1mo ago

Ha, that's such a classic baker problem! I actually read somewhere that yeast goes dormant below like 70 degrees, so your kitchen temp was basically killing the rise before it even started. The oven light trick is genius, I've heard of people using a microwave with a cup of hot water next to the bowl too. Did you notice a big difference in how long the bulk fermentation took once you warmed it up?

calebc401mo ago

My first sourdough attempt was in January in a 62 degree kitchen and it turned out fine, honestly. I think people overthink this whole temperature thing. My grandmother baked bread her whole life in a drafty farmhouse and never once used an oven light trick. @ross.lily mentions yeast going dormant below 70 but that's just not true, it slows down sure but it doesn't die or stop working completely. I actually get better structure and flavor from a longer cold bulk fermentation, the gluten develops more slowly and you get that complex tang. I tried the warm method and my bread came out flat and overproofed with no sourness at all. Sometimes the simple fix people think they found is actually just changing one variable without understanding the whole system.