build a proofing box

I turned the heating pad up to medium and left the house on an errand (had to – I kept checking the box every 10 min. and letting all the warmth out, I think!). When I came back, the bread was ready for the oven! It didn’t seem overheated at all.

The central finding: I found that this was not a true experiment, as 1) I was using a recipe I had never made before and so I had no way to interpret the results, really and 2) no control group (i.e. no dough proofing without aid of oven or other heat source).

So. The REAL Experiment 1 will take place next weekend, when I make ciabatta bread (as I am planning to do). The BBA recipe for ciabatta makes 2 loaves, and the dough is treated similarly to the focaccia dough. I will proof one in the prototype box and let one develop at the cooler ambient temperature in the kitchen. Not only will I get to see whether the proofing box actually speeds proofing (and if so, by how much); I’ll also get to taste-test two loaves from the same batch that are proofed at different temps. Reinhart (and others) say that slow proof = better flavor; I don’t doubt it, but I wonder how much it really does matter and whether I’d be able to tell the difference.

Ok, that was way too easy to be true.

The bin I have not only fits perfectly over a sheet pan, but also (almost) perfectly on top of my kitchen cupboards. I put the heating pad down (turned on low), put the bin lid upside down on top of it (to create some airspace), put the sheetpan with the proofing dough on top, and upended the bin over the whole thing.

The only thing I am lacking now is a temperature gauge (I have thermometers, but no convenient way of monitoring temps over time). I’m not gonna invest in one until I see the results from this experiment. Also – this bin would not be enough to cover a large batch of dough, so if this works out I could conceivably purchase one more bin, heating pad, and temp gauge for a second proofing box.

I’m in the midst of baking yet another BBA recipe (I’ll report in on it later today), but I’m getting kind of sick of fiddling with the oven to get my dough to rise at any kind of reasonable speed. There are lots of ideas for how to create a proofing box, from super-low-tech and simple to those involving woodworking and costing a lot. I want something sort of in-between.

It should do these things:

1. Maintain a more or less consistent temperature.
2. Be able to hold a large batch of dough (or even 2).
3. Be able to be taken apart into its constituent parts for easy storage and/or moving.
4. Not require lumber or nails, and preferably not too much measuring, either.
5. Not cost me an arm and a leg.
6. Oops, forgot, there needs to be some kind of temp. gauge on it also.

I think the enclosure will be one of those ubiquitous Rubbermaid-like tubs, but I’m not sure yet about the heating source. I do have a heating pad and a large Rubbermaid-like tub, and I think that will serve as my first experiment. Other options include a light source of some sort and an aquarium heater.

Heck, I think I’m going to dump out my storage tub that’s in the basement and try this right now!