Why Do Some Bread Recipes Call For a Second Rise? (2024)
Amateur bakers quickly learn that making bread is a waiting game. Depending on the recipe and type of yeast used, rising alone can take anywhere from three to 24 hours, meaning that a lot of a baker's energy goes toward keeping an eye on towel-covered dough. The entire process results in something delicious, but can potentially overwhelm first-timers who aren't prepared to spend the afternoon worrying about whether their loaves have doubled in size.
Understandably, home bakers might wonder why some breads spend so much time rising. More to the point, why do some loaves need to rise a second time at all? The answer has a lot to do with how bakers achieve the desired texture for different types of loaves.
Rising, or proofing, is the process by which yeasted breads achieve their structure and height. When active, yeast converts sugar and other foods into gas, which is then trapped by the dough. The same process can be observed in sourdough starter, which tends to rise in volume after it's been fed.
The gas bubbles created during the first rise create the types of loaves known for their craterous holes. Breads like this focaccia, for example, are usually only given one rise; English muffins, too, derive their nooks and crannies from a single rise. Breads with a tighter, smoother crumb structure require a bit more help from the baker, however, which is why the chef is next instructed to push out all the gas that the yeast has just put into the dough.
By deflating — or punching down — the dough after the first rise, the baker is allowing the yeast to move to areas where more sugars are available. The yeast can then repeat the same process during the second rise and create more gas to be trapped in the dough. Because the yeast has already exhausted some of the dough's food supply, it won't be as energetic and will create much smaller air bubbles. Those smaller bubbles will allow for a texture more suited to sandwich bread, however, and will result in hardier bread. After a second rise, bakers can finish up beautiful loaves like this rich chocolate babka or this salt-rising bread.
Some recipes demand a third rise. This white bread, for example, credits its softness to its additional proof. Most recipes stop at the second, however, so as not to fully exhaust the yeast, which continues to contribute to rising while in the oven.
When going through the rising steps, it's important not to overproof your bread. After the first rise, most experts recommend pressing a finger into the dough. If it holds its shape, then it's ready for the next step. After the second rise, however, a baker is looking for the dough to spring back at her slowly when she pokes it. The second proving has given the bread more elasticity, and made it harder to deflate the air.
Second rises may add significantly to the total time it takes to complete a loaf of bread, but the step can be essential to achieving the taste and texture inherent to a number of popular breads. By understanding how the rising process affects dough, bakers can better choose whether they want their bread to rise, and how many times it will need to do so to achieve the end result.
Once shaped, the dough is left to proof a second time — this is the step that “proofing” technically refers to. Much of the air was knocked out of the dough while shaping, so this is a chance for the dough to expand again before baking. This step is sometimes called second rise or second proof.
Once shaped, the dough is left to proof a second time — this is the step that “proofing” technically refers to. Much of the air was knocked out of the dough while shaping, so this is a chance for the dough to expand again before baking. This step is sometimes called second rise or second proof.
That's because doughs proof best in warmer temps—around 80º is just right for yeast. If your kitchen is too cold, the yeast doesn't have the right atmosphere to help the dough rise.
Add more yeast, blend in the starter, or knead in more flour to help initiate rising. Dough that has expired yeast, too much salt, all-purpose or cake flour, or antifungal spices like cinnamon might have trouble rising.
Bread recipes typically call for two rises: The first is the “bulk” rise when the dough rises in the bowl, while the second rise comes after the dough has been shaped, like when a sandwich dough proofs directly in the loaf pan.
If you're checking on shaped dough for the second rise/proof, then it should also be about double in size. Feel: Bread dough that has successfully risen/proofed will spring back slowly when poked and leave an indent. If it snaps back too quickly, it needs more time.
What to look for in an over proofed loaf. Similar to the signs of over proofed dough, an over proofed loaf will be very flat, without much rise or retention of shaping. Over proofing destroys the structural integrity of the bread, so loaves that have gone over are unable to hold their shape in the oven.
You can also put hot water in a heat-safe dish and place it on the floor of a cold oven (or on a lower shelf). The steam and heat from the water will help the temperature rise just enough that the yeast is active. The steam will also assist in keeping the surface of the dough moist so it will stretch as it rises.
Regardless of the type of yeast you use, if your water reaches temperatures of 120°F or more, the yeast will begin to die off. Once water temps reach 140°F or higher, that is the point where the yeast will be completely killed off.
If you're not in a rush, then it's not a bad idea to let the dough rise slowly. Slow-risen dough has a much more acidic flavor than a fast risen dough. An example of a more acidic bread is sourdough bread.
Second rises may add significantly to the total time it takes to complete a loaf of bread, but the step can be essential to achieving the taste and texture inherent to a number of popular breads.
A warm kitchen worktop, sunny windowsill or somewhere close to a radiator often works. You can also leave dough to rise in an oven but you do need to be very careful and also have an oven that can deal with lower temperatures.
But almost as good as a proofing box is taking a Mason jar filled halfway up with water, microwaving it for two minutes, then putting your bowl of dough into the microwave with the jar to rise. The other thing you can do is place your lidded container or bowl of dough into a second, larger bowl of warm water.
If the dough springs back right away (it's saying, “Hey, why'd you do that!”), let it rise for a few more minutes. If the dough springs back slowly, like it's waking up from a long nap, and your prod leaves a small indentation, it's ready to go.
When kneading, you need to stretch the dough out and then fold it back on itself and flatten it, and then repeat the process, making sure you turn the dough round between stretches. It can take between 5 and 10 minutes until the consistency of the dough changes and it becomes smoother and more elastic.
Introduction: My name is Jeremiah Abshire, I am a outstanding, kind, clever, hilarious, curious, hilarious, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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