Our kitchen is too cold to let dough rise out on the counter (on a good day in winter, it might get up 60 degrees F, evening temps around 50). I usually make the sourdough recipe from the Tightwad Gazette, which needs to rise overnight, and let it rise in the stainless steel bowl of my mixer. The bowl will not fit in the microwave, and I thought about leaving the light on in the regular oven (electric) for heat, but oven bulbs can be expensive to replace. Not to mention I really don't want to tie up the ovens.

Do any of you use a separate box for dough rising? I was also thinking of using a styrofoam cooler and just suspending a regular lightbulb inside, but was wondering if it would warm up the styrofoam too much, creating noxious (though perhaps unnoticeable to the nose) fumes.

Any thoughts and ideas that people could post here would really be welcome. Thanks to all.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 14, 2002

Answers

A cooler will work just fine as will a double layered cardboard box. Just remember to place a couple of quart jars (with lids on)with very hot water in with the dough to keep it warm. Cover the box or cooler with an old blanket or towel and it will rise up just fine. You can even make yougurt at the same time!

-- shari (smillers@snowcrest.net), January 14, 2002.

I usually will turn my oven on for about a minute at 200 degrees. It is just right for the dough. Just don't forget to turn the oven off after putting the dough in. Been there done that, LOL.

-- BB (johnson337@hotmail.com), January 14, 2002.

BB, that too is what I worry about, or preheating for something else and forgetting to take out the dough first! I was making something over at a friend's, and I turned on the oven to preheat, never thinking that she would store her cast iron skillets in there, so then had to scurry to find potholders earlier than I needed to, lol. Maybe some kind of sign on the oven door....

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 14, 2002.

When I had a cold kitchen I'd use a styrofoam cooler with a 7 watt bulb that fit in a small hole cut in the top.This worked veary nicely. Just be sure your bowl will fit. I love sourdough bread. How do you get the texture thats in store bought sourdough? You know with all the wholes and rought(SP?) texture? Hope this helpes. Sandie

-- Sandra Beerman (sbeerman@tymewyse.com), January 14, 2002.

I usually set the oven timer. But last time I must have been in la-la land because I completly ignored the alarm. And I was in the kitchen at the time. Thankfully I caught it in time.

-- BB (johnson337@hotmail.com), January 14, 2002.

Check rec.food.sourdough on the usenet. I recently posted my plans for a proofing box - basically a plastic storage box inverted with a 40 watt lightbulb in the top and a bowl of warm water in the bottom.

My house is generally around 60 F in the winter too, and if my bread needs a little extra umph, I throw a towel over the box to hold in the heat better. I can generally maintain temperatures of 10-20 degrees warmer in the box than in my place.

Just a thought about sourdough bread in general: your bread will have better texture, flavor, and keeping quality if you let it have at least 8 hours of refrigeration or very slow rising before baking. If you're interested in getting a little more adventurous with it, try picking up a copy of "Breads from the La Brea Bakery" by Nancy Silverton.

-karen

-- Karen (karen-reed@uiowa.edu), January 14, 2002.

I boil a pan of water and put in the oven to help warm the dough. I re-boil the water when I happen to think of it.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), January 14, 2002.

1) You should never rise dough in a stainless steel or aluminum bowl, use plastic, or preferably ceramic/glass. (and I forget why!) 2) Sourdough doesn't need to be kept as warm as if you were rising the dough to bake it. It may take an extra day, but just keep a starter going on the counter during the cool season. 3) Heat is what kills yeast, coolness simply slows it down.

-- CJ (cjtinkle@getgoin.net), January 14, 2002.

Thanks for all the neat answers. In the tightwad gazette book, it mentioned that the person baking the bread (one of her staffers) always used the stainless steel with no problem, so I tried it, and when it was warm enough, it worked just fine. I wouldn't use aluminum though.

CJ, I meant for rising the dough after I put the starter in. I usually keep my starter in the fridge (and use it right out of the fridge) because I don't bake a lot of bread, but I do sourdough because I like it and it only has three ingredients (okay, 4 if you count the starter).

Thanks again to everyone--I will look at those plans, Karen!

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 14, 2002.

The old Irish method is to fill a saucepan with hot water and put it on the bottom shelf of the oven, put your dough on the top shelf. Close the door, but do not turn on the oven. The dough rises well away from drafts, and the bread comes out with a fine texture.

-- Sandie in Maine (peqbear@maine.rr.com), January 14, 2002.

GT i use a heating pad. I put my bowl on the heating pad and cover the bowl with a towel. It works everytime and i don't tie up my oven this way. Hope you have good luck with it. Your Countryside friend gail akins

-- gail akins (gakins@simplynet.net), January 15, 2002.