sprinklefingers

finding a warm, draft-free spot for bread to proof is kinda difficult in my house. first of all, the house is never truly warm. second of all, there’s always a whirlwind of activity going on - someone is literally always coming and going - slamming doors, opening doors…you get the picture.

but this warm spot is essential to bread, and seeing as how my bread addiction isn’t going to wane for some time, i started to look for inexpensive solutions - on the internet, of course.

first up came this. the easyrise. i couldn’t find any other information on it…aside from a few random blog posts stating that the company was trying to prove to investors that it’s worth investing in. and this was a while ago, so i have a feeling it may never come to market. i have to admit, i like kitchen gadgets and i’d probably be convinced to buy this thing - especially because it apparently folds flat for storage. weird but clever.

after the easyrise folding proofing box came lots & lots of wacky diy projects. one person uses a fish tank heater to heat water in a plastic bin, then she sets another plastic bin filled with dough down into the water. i’m not doing that.

then came ideas on using the microwave. a styrofoam cooler with boiling water. the oven with just the oven light on.

and then it came to me. while my oven is indeed original to our 1961 house, it is a built-in. above it and below it? cabinets. so, i pre-heated the oven to 400, then stuck a thermometer into the lower cabinet - it was right around the 85 degrees most suggest for a good rise.

i simply cleared a spot for my loaf pans (which meant taking a long, hard look at how varied & vast my baking pan collection is…whoa…) and started proofing away.

perfect!

look around your kitchen. turn on your oven and feel inside the cabinets next to it - do they get warm? warm enough? maybe…probably! experiment and find out, won’t you?