To make bread with sourdough or fresh yeast, we all know, it’s an art! You need a lot of passion and dedication for all fermented products. When we finish the dough, we must follow each phase of making the product carefully. And that includes resting the dough to rise.
But what is resting, and how long can you let dough rise at room temperature? The answer deepens on the process, amount, and the food you are making. It can take from one to even 3 or 4 hours.
Since it is difficult to describe in a few words, we tried to elaborate on the topic in the following paragraphs.
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How Long Can You Let Dough Rise at Room Temperature
The general idea is to keep the dough until it becomes double in size. This requires between 1.5 and 2 hours at room temperature.
You will need less time if the temperature is higher and a little more if it is lower. You can even let the dough sit and rise in the fridge for 8 hours.
1. First Resting Period
Ideally, the bread dough should sit two or three times. A first resting can last between 15 minutes or several hours, depending on the food we will make.
2. Second Resting Period
There is a second rest after having shaped the bread. And then final resting, in which the dough swells due to the carbon dioxide it forms.
3. Let the Dough Rise
For it to rise well, you should leave the dough to rest until it has doubled in size. At room temperature, the dough makes take a couple of hours. It is essential that leavening takes its time because the slower it is, the better the flavor of the final preparation.
What Happens If I Let the Dough Rise for a Long Time?
When the dough has doubled in volume, punch it down and shape it. If left to rise longer, the bread could develop a grayish crumb, have a strong yeasty odor, or become heavy. When you shape the dough, dust your work surface with little flour.
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How to Make the Dough Rise Faster?
Baking the bread or putting it in the oven is crucial to let the dough rise. This can take an hour or even longer. But if you don’t have enough time, you can speed up the process by following our tips. Ready?
- First, you can make the dough rise with the help of the microwave after passing through the mixer. Add a glass of water. The glass must be microwave-proof. Program two minutes at maximum power. Now place the glass on one side and the container with the bread dough on the other side.
- The atmosphere created by the hot water will make the dough rise faster, without the need to turn on the microwave. When can you proceed to bake? Very simple when the dough doubles its size.
- If the dough is more significant, you can replicate the same trick in the oven. You just have to place a bowl with boiling water in the preheated oven. With this kitchen trick, you will create a perfect and warm environment. As a result, the dough grows more fluidly, unlike at room temperature.
- Dry yeast has more remarkable growth without the need to let it rest for a long time. So if you want to make the dough rise faster, you can add rapid rise yeast instead of fresh.
- If the recipe indicates two growth phases, you can go to the second one directly to reduce the time. Generally, if you only have one rise phase, you can skip it and let the dough rise during baking.
What to Do When the Bread Dough Does Not Rise?
One of the problems in making bread is that the dough does not rise in the oven. It may be due to excess flour, temperature, or cooking. You can try putting a pan of boiling water in the bottom of the oven. If the dough is still not stiff, you can try adding a little more fresh yeast.
How to Preserve Bread Dough?
You can preserve dough before and after resting. These two conditions need two distinct methods:
1. Before Fermentation
To do so, brush inside a plastic bag with oil and introduce the unleavened dough.
Gently squeeze the bag to remove any air, leaving room for the dough to rise slightly as it freezes.
To thaw, first, remove the dough from the freezer. And then put it in the fridge. Keep it there for 12 to 24 hours until it doubles in size. Remove it from the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature.
2. After Fermentation
To do so,
- Arrange the shapes on a baking tray.
- Cover it with transparent film.
- Store it in the freezer for as long as you like.
- To defrost, transfer the tray from the freezer to the refrigerator and remove the self-adhesive film.
- Leave the forms for 12 to 24 hours until they double in size.
- Take them out of the refrigerator and leave them for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Conclusion
It would be greatest to let the dough sit and rise to achieve the perfect result. But for that, the timing is essential. So, to make good dough and bread, you must understand how long you can let bread dough sit. Hopefully, you will have no confusion in the future.
