Proof

To proof means to let a shaped bread dough rise for the last time before it goes in the oven. It comes after bulk fermentation and shaping. British recipes say "prove". The word is also used for checking that yeast is alive by mixing it with warm water and sugar.

How to do it

1. Shape the dough and put it in its pan, on a tray or in a banneton dusted with flour.
2. Cover it with a damp towel, an upturned bowl or a loose bag, so the surface does not dry out.
3. Leave it somewhere warm, ideally 24 to 27°C (75 to 80°F). A turned-off oven with the light on often works.
4. A yeasted loaf usually needs 45 to 90 minutes. Sourdough often needs 2 to 4 hours, or a night in the fridge.
5. Heat the oven well before the dough is ready.

How to tell it is done

Use the poke test. Flour a finger and press it about 1 cm (½ inch) into the dough.

• Springs back fast and fully: underproofed. Wait 15 to 30 minutes more.
• Springs back slowly and leaves a small dent: ready to bake.
• Does not spring back at all, or the dough sags: overproofed.

The dough should also look puffy and be about 1.5 to 2 times its shaped size.

Why it works

Shaping pushes out much of the gas and tightens the dough. During the proof the yeast fills it with gas again, and the gluten relaxes so it can stretch. A well-proofed dough still has enough strength and food left for the yeast to give a strong oven spring.

Common mistakes

• Proofing by the clock instead of the dough. A cold kitchen can double the time.
• Too hot a spot. Above about 35°C (95°F) the dough rises fast but tastes flat, and butter in rich doughs melts.
• Leaving it uncovered. A dry skin forms and the loaf cannot expand.
• Overproofing. The loaf collapses when you score it and bakes flat. Reshape it gently and give it a short second proof.

In recipes

"Let rise until puffy" or "proof until almost doubled" both mean this step. "Cold proof" or "retard" means proofing in the fridge, usually overnight.