How to Rise Yeast Dough in a Cool or Drafty Kitchen

Submitted by puppitypup

"This works great all year round!"

 

• Ready In: 5mins
• Ingredients: 2
• Yields: 1 batch dough

ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• yeast bread dough

directions

1. Make your dough, put in a greased bowl and flip, to coat both sides. Cover dough with a clean damp dish cloth.
2. Fill a large glass measuring cup half way with water. Heat in microwave until water just comes to a boil and steams up the microwave.
3. Quickly open the door and put the dough bowl in with the water. Close the door before all the steam escapes.
4. By the way, I've never tried it with the dough right on top of the water, like Bonnie's pic. I always push the water to the back corner.

Reviews

[L DJ3309]

I couldn't try this as my micro is to small to hold both a measuring cup of water and a bowl of dough. So I brought a 2 qt pan of water to a boil, put it in the oven, on the bottom shelf, then put my bowl of dough on the shelf above. Worked like a dream. Thanks for the idea.

 

[22tina]

Great tip, I put the bowl with the dough in it covered it and placed it on top of a small bowl of hot water then placed it in the oven. The dough doubled in size in less than 20 minutes. Thanks so so much.

 

[Gardenwife]

I do this, too, only I put my bowl in my regular oven with a cup of very hot water. I also leave the oven's light on, which generates just a little heat. Works like a charm! If I have food in the oven and can't use it, I've also put my covered bowl on top of a heating pad set on its lowest setting.

 

[dkcopland]

Your idea to rise the yeast sounds good. I'll try on my next batch of "Peasant Bread". The receipe I used said to let the dough rise until doubled. I eyeballed it and it looked to be doubled, but when it came out of the oven, it was more like ciabatta bread. I'd like to raise the height a little, so I'm looking for advice. Do I add a little more yeast ? More sugar ? Longer rising time ? Appreciate any advice. Thanks

 

[Coppercloud]

This works great. I did not put the dough on top of the cup of water, but next to it.