Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Using a damp towel
• Method 2 of 4: Prove dough in the microwave
• Method 3 of 4: Prove dough in the oven
• Method 4 of 4: Using Fast-Acting Yeast
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need
• Using a damp towel
• Raising dough in the microwave
• Proving dough in the oven
• With Fast Acting Yeast

Before baking bread, you need to make sure that the dough rises. It can take several hours, but sometimes we are in such a hurry that we have to put the dough in the oven ahead of schedule. Fortunately, there are ways to speed up this process. You just need to put the dough in the microwave or cover it with a damp towel. The warmth and moisture will speed up the rise of the dough, so you don't have to wait long to enjoy the taste of freshly baked bread.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Using a damp towel

1. 1 Preheat oven to baking temperature. Typically, bread is baked at 177–260 ° C. Check the recipe for the exact temperature.
2. 2 Dampen a tea towel under warm water. The towel should be wet, but no water should drip from it. If there is a lot of water dripping off the towel, squeeze it over the sink.
3. 3 Cover the dough with a damp towel. The dough should be completely covered with a towel. Stretch the towel so that the edges hang over the bowl or tray that contains the dough. The moisture from the towel will help the dough rise faster.
   • Take two damp towels and place them on top of each other if the surface of the dough is too large.
4. 4 Place the covered dough next to (but not directly on top of) the preheated oven. To do this, free up some space on the countertop next to the oven. The heat from the oven will speed up the rise of the dough even more.
5. 5 Wait for the dough to double in size. Check the dough after half an hour. If it hasn't doubled in size, cover it again with towels and check again after 10-15 minutes.

Method 2 of 4: Prove dough in the microwave

1. 1 Place a full 240 ml glass of water in the microwave. The glass should be small to fit in the microwave.
2. 2 Heat the water for 2 minutes on high power. After 2 minutes, open the microwave and move the glass of water aside to make room for the bowl of dough. Move the glass with oven mitts or a tea towel if hot.
3. 3 Place the dough in a bowl. The bowl should be small enough to fit in the microwave. Don't be afraid to use a non-microwaveable bowl as you won't have to turn it on.
4. 4 Place the bowl of dough in the microwave and close the door. Leave the glass of water in the microwave along with the dough. A glass of water and heat from the microwave will create a warm and humid environment that will help the dough rise faster. Never turn on the microwave.
5. 5 Wait 30–45 minutes for the dough to rise. Check the status of the test after half an hour. The dough is done when it doubles in size. If it hasn't already, leave the dough in the microwave for another 15 minutes.
6. 6 Heat the water if the dough does not rise. If after 45 minutes the dough has not doubled, remove it from the microwave. Heat the glass of water on high power for 2 minutes, then return the dough to the microwave. Wait another 10-15 minutes until the dough rises.

Method 3 of 4: Prove dough in the oven

1. 1 Preheat oven for 2 minutes at the lowest temperature. Set a timer so you don't forget. While the oven is preheating, place a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Turn off the oven when 2 minutes have elapsed.
2. 2 Pour the boiling water into an oven-safe glass bowl. Take a medium to large bowl and fill it with water so that there is 1–5 cm to the rim.
3. 3 Place a bowl of boiling water in the oven and close the door. Leave the bowl of water in the oven while you cook the dough. The heat from the oven and the bowl of water will create a warm and humid environment that will help the dough rise faster.
4. 4 Place the dough in an oven safe saucepan and place in the oven, then close the door.
5. 5 Leave the dough in the oven until it doubles in size. Check the status of the test after 15 minutes. If the dough is not ready yet, leave it in the oven for another 15 minutes.

Method 4 of 4: Using Fast-Acting Yeast

1. 1 Buy bags of fast-acting yeast. They are sold in the form of small granules, which accelerates their activation. The faster activation of the yeast also means a faster rise in the dough. You can buy fast-acting yeast at your local grocery store. They can also be called "active yeast" or "fast growing yeast".
2. 2 Mix a packet of fast-acting yeast with the dry dough ingredients. Unlike regular yeast, fast acting yeast does not need to be dissolved in water. Just mix them with flour and other dough ingredients. Check the recipe to find out how many yeast sachets you need.
3. 3 Skip the early rise of the dough and mold after kneading. If the recipe is to rise in two steps, only the second step. With fast-acting yeast, the dough should only rise once. Skipping the first step will cut your time in half.
4. 4 Let the dough rise once before baking the bread. Place the dough in a warm, moist place to rise faster. Keep in mind that a soft dough consisting mainly of water and flour will rise faster than a dough made from milk, eggs, salt and fat.

Tips

• In a warm, humid environment, the rise of the dough is accelerated due to the acceleration of the fermentation process inside it.
• Take a small bowl. Add yeast and some sugar to a bowl, then pour in warm water (not hot) and stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then let the yeast sit for 15 minutes. Pour this mixture into flour, add water if necessary, and knead the dough until soft. If you do all of this, the dough should rise faster.

Warnings

• Do not let the dough rise above 49 ° C while the dough is rising, as temperatures that are too high may kill the yeast.

What do you need

Using a damp towel

• Oven
• Kitchen towel

Raising dough in the microwave

• Microwave safe glass
• Microwave
• A bowl

Proving dough in the oven

• Oven
• Heat Resistant Glass Bowl
• Heat-resistant saucepan

With Fast Acting Yeast

• Fast Acting Yeast Bags