Ok before someone buys this for my bread baking Christmas present, what’s your DIY alternative?
TIA
Rooster
A damp dish towel? I can think of a lot of other ways to blow $170.
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Husband used the oven for dough raising in colder days. The lowest setting or with door slightly opened if too warm.
My gas oven stays about 93f with just the pilot light.
If no gas, a $20 heating pad and a cardboard box ought to work too, maybe better if the dough was elevated and not directly touching the pad. (I sometimes use one to keep chocolate warm but that has different needs.)
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Summer: Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in pilot-light warmed ove
#Winter: Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in front of furnace outlet
Sending this to my appliance loving Aunt before she starts holiday shopping. I Tried on my own and knew HO backup would cinch the convo!
The microwave!
Heat up a mug of water in there first and leave it in the back corner.
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When it’s cold in the house, I just plastic wrap the bowl, top with a heavy dish towel and set the whole thing on a heating pad set on low.
It all depends on what you are trying to achieve. I almost bought something similar when I was making a lot of recipes from Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread, since many of them call for distinct temperatures for rising. But for normal bread baking, it is often better to let the dough rise in a cool place, which coaxes more taste out of the yeast. Just look at Jim Lahey’s no-knead recipe. For example, I let my pizza dough rise overnight in the wine cellar (13°C / 55°F). I would gladly put it in the refrigerator, but don’t have room. But if you wish to try recipes that call for specific rising temperatures and humidities, it’s probably worth it.
I’m just looking for assistance telling my dear Aunt that a proofing box while a lovely gesture is not necessary under the Christmas tree.
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Love the idea, but also choking on the $170 price tag. Maybe for $30, I’d go for it. I’ve stopped baking bread outside of the summer time due to my dough not rising enough and getting a leaden loaf. Have even tried sticking in my oven, but even that doesn’t work. Lots of great ideas for a home-made solution.
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