Proofing

Proofing is the final stage of dough fermentation, which takes place after the piece has been shaped and just before baking. It is a critically important phase on which the final volume, lightness, and structure of the finished bread depend.

During proofing the shaped items are left in a warm place, where the yeast continues to work actively, releasing carbon dioxide. The pieces gradually increase in volume, becoming fluffy and “airy.” The main art here is to determine the right moment: under-proofing will give a dense bread of small volume that bursts badly in the oven, while over-proofing will cause the dough to “over-ferment,” weaken, and collapse during baking. Readiness is checked with a light press: correctly proofed dough slowly returns to shape. The ability to sense this moment is one of the baker's key skills, one that directly determines the quality of the final item.