I love to bake homemade bread and pizza dough and don't really care for bread machine results. When I make breads by hand, I need a nice warm, clean, out of the way place for the dough to rise. I have been putting the dough in my microwave (turned off, of course) and letting it rise there with the best results.
It frees up my counter space and is clean and warm. So make use of that idle microwave when in need of a place for dough to rise. I've even got some pizza dough rising in mine right now for entertaining friends later.
By jill from Blue Bell, PA
I am a bread baker also...I have a warmer drawer on my stove, I put my bread dough in the bowl in the warmer drawer with the temperature set on Low; my dough rises in half the time it does sitting in a warm place on my counter. I also place my bread pans with the bread dough in them in the warmer drawer; I am able to bake the bread quicker than the conventional method of bread rising on the counter. It works for my bread baking methods.
I have a friend that puts her bread dough in her oven with the oven light on and the bread rises quicker using that method.
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I've always wanted to make bread, but what is the best way to let the bread rise in a warm place? Do I pre-warm the oven or what?