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Temperature. Yeast dough rises best at around 32°C (90°F). If it gets much colder than that, in most cases the yeast doesn't ferment fast enough to produce enough carbondioxide to suport a nice crumb (make the dough nice and fluffy), rather, the dough kind of... puddles? and becomes flat. At least that's what I think is happening LOL. In general, warmer is better.
However, if the temperature is too warm: 40+°C (115°F), the dough tends to ferment too fast and become floppy, losing gluten integrity.
Altitued REALLY affects breads. The higher up you go, the faster and faster your bread will rise. From my experience, every 300 metres of altitude shortens the proofing period by about 5%, sometimes more.
Another thing that altitude affects alot is dough hydration. Working with 80% hydration dough when you live close to sea level is HARD. It's so frusturating. However, 80% hydration is actually a pretty good hydration for most doughs and is easy to work with once you get above 1,500 metres.
In summary: The higher you go, the more water your dough needs and the faster it will rise.
Hydration
Proofing yeast dough to perfection takes some experience.
Knowing when it's just right to bake can be a little tricky, especially if you do not have a temperature-controlled environment.
Here are some tests, tips, and tricks you can use as you become familiar with bread proofing:
Once the bread is close to done proofing, gently touch the surface, pressing only enough to create a small dimple.
DONE: The surface will not spring back immediately and it will feel very fragile and light.
NOT done: The surface will be quite resiliant to pressure and the dough will still feel firm/stiff.
The most classic way to "gauge" if bread is risen enough is the age-old, "Doubled in size" trick.
Basically you just look at it and determine for yourself if it looks like it's twice the size. Hopefully you score high in spatial awareness. :)
You can always just take a picture right after you shape your bread, and then compare before and afters as the bread rises to determine how much it has changed in size. This technique will also help you get better at 'just knowing' when the bread is ready.
As we learned under Temperature, the temperature at which bread rises is the number-one variable that changes proof-time.
In commercial settings where bread is made all the time, they have what are called "proofing cabinets". These are essentially just enclosed spaces that stay at a set temperature while the bread is rising.
These proofing cabinets make it possible to take exact time measurements for each recipe.
E.g. Proof at 32°C (90°F) for 75 minutes.
This is obviously ideal, eliminating the need to constantly check and guess if the bread is ready, however, not everyone has a PrOOfIng CaBINeT.
Your next best option would be the oven technique:
You can make your own sort-of-proofing-cabinet by heating your oven (on any temperature) for 3 minutes exactly. Once it has heated for three minutes, turn it off and put your bread pans in.
The first time you do this, take notes on the exact time that it takes the bread to proof. In the future, you will be able to rely on the time more than the mad chesmestry tests.
With bread proofing, there is a twilight zone where the bread is springy, but still a little firm, but not firm enough to really tell... if it's ready??? When in doubt, bake the bread at this stage. It won't be as fluffy as perfectly-proofed bread, however, underproofed bread tastes better and has better texture than overproofed bread.
I.e. Less proofed is better than more. If you can't get it just-right, go with less.
Overproofed bread crumbles easily and does not have a 'soft, chewy bread' texture.
Overproofed bread also loses taste. Once the yeast eats up all of the sugars, the flavor deminishes and the bread becomes very stale tasting. Over-all, not a great experience.
While underproofed bread will not be bread at it's best, it will still have a nice texture, just slightly denser than it might have otherwise been.
It will also have decent flavor as, the flour is still flour and hasn't been completely metabolized by the yeast (unlike overproofed bread).
Temperature. Sourdough bread is a very detailed process with many distinct stages. Each stage can have its own temperature requirements.
In general though, sourdough bread rises best at around 27°C (80°F).
During the bulk fermentation (the first Proofing phase), it is best to keep sourdough at 27°C (80°F).
Up to 15 degrees colder is doable in most cases, however, the colder the temperature, the slower your starter will 'work'. During the bulk fermentation, the process of the yeast matabolizing the flour and releasing carbondioxide actually helps build the gluten structure (the bread crumb).
If the temperature is too warm: 40+°C (105°F), the dough tends to ferment too quickly and unevenly and you won't have sufficient time for proper dough folding in order to build the gluten structure. The dough tends to become sticky and runny.
Altitued REALLY affects breads. The higher up you go, the faster and faster your bread will rise. From my experience, every 300 metres of altitude shortens the proofing period by about 5%, sometimes more.
Another thing that altitude affects alot is dough hydration. Working with 80% hydration dough when you live close to sea level is HARD. It's so frusturating. However, 80% hydration is actually a pretty good hydration for most doughs and is easy to work with once you get above 1,500 metres.
In summary: The higher you go, the more water your dough needs and the faster it will rise.
Hydration
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