Talk:Proofing (baking technique)

message: unleavened breads
I have rewritten a bunch of the article, but I'm not sure it stands on its own.  It should probably be merged into Yeast (baking).  As a compromise, I've added a little bit about the Proofing Oven.  I attached a Subway restaurant picture, and an external link to a specific proofer.  I'd LIKE to use the picture from the external link, but until I can get permission or go take my own picture, the Subway one might have to suffice. --Mdwyer 22:18, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I feel like the page could be made to stand on its own.  I think the article would likely be a bit out of place on the yeast page, I think a new page on baking technique or bread baking terms would be useful. Perhaps a new project to start? --Nleamy 04:45, 28 December 2006 (UTC)
replies: text:  Originally, I would have disagreed with you, but your changes to the article have been GREAT!  I had also though about merging with Dough proofer, but then I'm not sure if the Retarder article, then.  They are both pretty much stubs. I've gone ahead and added all the banners and edited the equipment block.  Have a look at it and tell me what you think. --Mdwyer 23:13, 28 December 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I think that would probably make sense.  All three of those are stubs, and will be for all of time unless we get someone who knows a lot of history or other background about proofing equipment.  Seeing as I am betting these pages don't get all too much traffic, I guess wait a day or two for any external objections and then I'll switch them around.--Nleamy 01:39, 29 December 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I know I'm coming late to the discussion, but I think that the suggestion to create a new page on bread baking techniques is a good one. Is there still some interest in this? --Gandalf StormCrow 22:58, 4 January 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I'm still interested in it... I just too lazy to do it myself.  Rewriting Quick Bread has been on my Things To Do list for at least a year.  If you did the WP:BOLD thing, you'd have my appreciation, at the very least. --Mdwyer 03:19, 5 January 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Looking through the article on baking as well as the other more process oriented pages linked in the category [[Category:Cooking techniques], I wonder what the best organization for this information would be.  As it stands, I feel like the proofing page we have here is relatively strong, combining some technical information with process details and tools.  I feel like the best way to access this information would be by linking it better with the bread page and by vastly expanding the baking page.  But there's always room for more...--Nleamy 07:29, 5 January 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I've looked over the articles on bread and baking, and it seems to me major rewrites would be required to fit the fullness of information on baking techniques into those articles. However, I think that it would be easy to create a new article and creat links in both bread and baking. Let me give some thought to this, and I'll be ready to come back here and offer a proposal in a bit. Does that sound reasonable? --Gandalf StormCrow 16:37, 5 January 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: So, I began a draft page on what will hopefully eventually be something on baking bread.  I took some of the material from baking, some from proofing, lamé, quick bread, etc.  If folks would like to edit this, talk about it on the talk page there, etc...--Nleamy 03:27, 6 January 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Nathan has already put in some good work toward a rewrite. However, my thoughts go in slightly different directions, so I am working on a revision of his work here. We can talk through the differences once the two drafts are closer to completion.  --Gandalf StormCrow 14:16, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Merge?

message: The article states: "The retarding stage is rarely found in recipes with commercial yeast but often used in sourdough bread recipes to allow the bread to develop its characteristic flavor."  While it is true that sourdough is often retarded to develop its characteristic acidity, there are many bakers and recipes that advocate a retarding step for commercial yeast breads, particularly those intending to develop "artisan" character and flavor.  The longer fermentation time allows for greater development of flavor through a number of chemical processes.  Often the retarding stage is only done with a part of the final dough (a preferment of some sort), but there are many cases where retarding the final dough is also crucial (such as in classic bagel production or in certain kinds of "rustic" style breads).  Peter Reinhart (in his "Bread Baker's Apprentice"), Ruth Levy Beranbaum ("The Bread Bible"), and Jeffrey Hamelman ("Bread"), to name just a few of the most important books on bread techniques in the past decade, using retarding steps for a number of their recipes.  Reinhart goes so far as to make a slow, cold fermentation into the main point of his book.  Retarding may not be commonly practiced in general cookbooks for standard white bread recipes, but it is an essential method used by many professional bakers (whether they use natural or commercial yeast) and is common in "artisan" baking books.  I am therefore altering this sentence to reflect this fact.  Also, I second the info in the comment above on Autolyse. 65.96.161.79 (talk) 17:15, 23 July 2009 (UTC)
replies: text:  The article says, "In sourdough bread-making, cold reduces the activity of the yeast relative to the lactobacilli, which produce flavoring products such as lactic acid and acetic acid."  This [study] says the opposite, that wild yeast (C. milleri) grows faster at lower temperatures, and that bacilli (L. sanfranciscensis) grows faster at slightly higher temperatures.   One particular sentence from the study's Discussion section says, "Our data are furthermore in agreement with the “baker’s rule” that low temperatures during sourdough fermentations (20 to 26°C) are better for yeast growth than higher temperatures (30)."  I'm going to go ahead and correct the sentence.  I'll change "reduces" to "increases", and a couple other minor changes and add a citation sometime in the next few hours. 64.149.120.54 (talk) 17:28, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: Retarding not common with commercial yeast?

message: A sentence currently reads, "Some straight-dough breads will only require a single fermentation-rest period while others, particularly sponge doughs, will need multiple periods."  I'm changing that sentence to agree with Oregon State University's Bread Preparation Processes page.  I wanted to refer here to the link that was used for the basis of the sentence change.  It's a minor one or two word correction.  Please be advised I'm not a wikipedian with an account, and am unfamiliar with citation guidelines for such external links without a DOI or other citation indexing number.  I will try to cite it, but if the citation fails, feel free to correct the citation to wikipedia's current standards.71.154.206.124 (talk) 22:21, 15 August 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: Straight Dough versus Sponge Dough

message: Since this topic is titled Proofing (baking technique), I'm wondering about the relevance of the photo showing beer wort in its primary fermentation? The brewing process does appear to use the term proofing (referring to testing the viability of the yeast), but it does not seem to fit with the baking technique qualification. Thoughtful baker (talk) 16:12, 4 August 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Beer Wort Primary Fermentation Photo