Proofing Dough, Making Bread

Also called secondary fermentation or final fermentation, the proof or proofing is an essential process for bread making. Every baker has his method and every kind of bread needs different vessels according to which form it will take.

During this process, the air pockets which are so typical of artisanal bread are formed and the secret to those “holes” is proper proofing. Lovers of artisanal bread appreciate in it the long period of fermentation, as opposed to the industrial bread in which chemicals are used to speed up fermentation. Actually, the longer proofing period allows the natural
enzymes to react with the flour, resulting in better flavor, texture and easier digestion. In fact, the yeast that has been added by the baker eats sugar to produce carbon dioxide gas and fermentation flavor components. Yeast may produce many secondary metabolites such as ketones, higher alcohols, organic acids, aldehydes and esters. Some of these, alcohols, for example, escape during baking.

Proofing in baskets and bannetons
An old method, still used now by modern bakers, is proofing in baskets and bannetons. The load is tipped onto a baking tray or into a pan, where it stays once proofed for baking. Proofing baskets and bannetons are traditionally made of wicker or another light, dry wood, and come in round or elongated forms. Some modern proofing baskets are made of silicone or plastic, but they are not as useful as neither silicone nor plastic is able to ‘wick’ away moisture from the dough.
Some proofing baskets are lined with linen, or another cloth liner, to prevent the dough from sticking to the sides of the basket.

Wick away the moisture!
Banneton baskets, also called Brotform baskets, provide the loaf with shape and structure, while wicking away moisture from the crust. A banneton is used for round loaves, called boules. A proofing cloth, or couche, made of linen or other coarse material is typically used for longer loaves such as baguettes. It wicks away a bit of moisture, helping to create a crunchy crust, and provides support, separation, and protection for the raw dough.
The proofing stage is when the baker divides and shapes the dough using flour to keep it from sticking too much, or oil, depending on the proofing method and desired crust. The baker can shape the dough into loaves, boule, baguettes or rolls at this stage and place the smooth, shaped dough in the proofing basket, baking basket, or loaf pan to rise.

To form a nice crust (as opposed to a soft crust), the baker will want a wooden or wicker proofing basket or banneton, or a proofing cloth. Though proofing in a loaf pan can be much simpler since most pans are made of metal or glass, they are not able to wick away moisture from the crust. Some bakers stick to the rule of proofs that are long enough to let the dough double in size. Generally speaking, overproofing will ruin the structure of the bread, leading to collapsed loaves or holes that are too large, while underproofing will lead to a denser, less flavorful bread.

After the proof stage, the dough is put into ovens where it will become bread!