How many ways can you describe PROOFING for your sourdough. In fifty-two plus years, I have referred proofing in a certain step. I’m reading about other methods which use this word for other steps. 

We will find almost as many methods to work with sourdough as we have sourdough workers!  I recommend enjoying the input. BUT, also strive to find your connection with your starter. Reserve judgement. You will have some wrecks. The sourdough life isn’t a competition. Rather it is your own mad scientist road through your cooking life. 

The Proof Is Not Always in the Sourdough

I’ve recently seen the term ‘Proofing’ used when the baker placed their dough in the refrigerator overnight to work, rest, and ‘proof’.

Recently, someone asked me to provide dinner rolls for a holiday meal. I haven’t had much success with them. This time wasn’t different. I did some things the FIRST time. I have never had a bulk rise or bulk ferment in the refrigerator.  Mixing the dough for these rolls the day before and keeping them chilled overnight was an accident. An accident planned to control the clean-up. Getting up on baking day to find all the mixing equipment cleaned and put away is a GIFT! The sort of euphoric feeling I get with refrigerator cookies!  A GIFT!  

The different methods that I found were connected to good old white bread refrigerator yeast rolls. I used the timing to get a rise on the rolls. They worked quite well until we came to the oven part. We overbaked them and found some DARK bottoms. I would have thrown them out. However, my fellow diners were enthusiastic and complimentary. They ate them with relish, claiming they LIKE burned bread!

There will be a moment of PROOF!

You will come to be familiar with this claim!  I was taught at different aspect for PROOFING. When I PROOF sourdough, I am going to bake or have waffles pretty soon.

I begin 4-6 hours before that final task. Usually that translates to OVERNIGHT. Before I go to bed, I remove the starter from the refrigerator and scoop most of it out of the jug into a huge bowl.  I add some flour and water, mixing it well. That bowl is covered for the night and left to it’s own devices. In the morning, I have a bowl of lively, bubbly starter. My oversized mixing bowl

A lot of lively, bubbly starter. I fill the jug. The rest is ‘discard’ and will be part of the bread or waffles. It’s not a specific science. That’s why I often have several loaves of bread. Or plenty of waffles. Or maybe slip a little off to one side and make a delicious chocolate cake. And often have this done before noon. On a really ‘good’ day for me, I have the bread cooling and the mess cleaned up by noon! Sourdough is not on my mind again until I get hungry or open that last loaf of frozen bread!

My proofing is extremely simple. Other bakers have more complicated processes. Some of that comes from recent culture. When people were stuck in their homes for the Pandemic they became infatuated with sourdough. They also had ALL DAY to make their tasks take the whole day.

And, I have to admit, the gear is appealing. I never saw a dish I didn’t like. Including sweet, special jars with loose and sealing lids to manage the DISCARD.  Clever little discard jars!

Make “the proof is in the goodies” your mantra. Proof your starter, proof your dough, rise and/or proof loaves. It doesn’t matter what you want to call it. 

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