Effective Bread Fermentation at Home without a Proofer 麵包發酵

I don’t have a proofer at home but I can still provide a good environment for my bread fermentation. 雖然我家中沒有麵包機或發酵爐, 但我可以製造一個適合的環境.

After you have finished kneading your dough and passed the “Window Pane Test” (see my previous post on this test here), it’s time for first fermentation.  In Hong Kong where room temperature can drop to 10°C in winter, the bread dough can take a long time to rise. Here is some tips to help with this process.

當你的麵團搓好及通過”薄膜測試“後, 就要進入第一次發酵. 香港的天氣四季也不同，冬天室溫只有十多度，若把麵團放室溫可能要等很久才完成發烤。在這裡我想同大家分享一些解決這問題的方法。

Fold your dough 摺好你的麵團

First please see my short video below to show you how to fold your dough for first fermentation.

先看看下面的短片如何把搓完的麵團摺好。

Put your dough in a lightly greased bowl and take note of it’s size.

把麵團放入一個輕輕掃過油的煲內並留意它的大細。

Method 1 – Fermentation in a microwave oven 在微波爐中發酵

If you have some kind of heat pad at home, please heat it up.  Also heat up a bowl of water in your microwave.  Your microwave will become very humid with steam from the bowl of water. Put the bowl of bread dough inside, together with the heat pad. Close your microwave door and let it sit for fermentation.  Do NOT switch on the microwave. Only use it as an enclosed box.  If you don’t have any heat pad, don’t worry, just use the bowl of water.

若你有發熱包，請把它加熱。並且把一碗水在微波爐中加熱。此刻你的微波爐內應該會因水的蒸汽而變得非常潮濕，請將麵團和發熱包放進去，關閉微波爐門讓它發酵。記得不要開微波爐，只用它作為一個密封的廂子。若你沒有發熱包也不緊要，只用那碗水就可以了。

Heat pad 發熱包

A bowl of water and heat pad in microwave 一碗熱水和發熱包在微波爐中

Put in bread dough 把麵團也放進去

First fermentation completed 麵團完成發酵 🙂

Method 2 – Fermentation in an oven 在焗爐中發酵

If you don’t have a microwave at home, or if your microwave is too small to hold your bread dough, you can also use the same technique with your oven.  Just boil some water and pour onto a tray.  Put the tray (and heatpad, if any) inside the oven (make sure oven is NOT turned on), together with your bread dough.  Your oven will also provide a humid environment for the fermentation. The only draw back with this approach is that 10-15 mins before your bread is ready to be baked, you will have to take everything out in order to pre-heat your oven.

焗如果你家中沒有微波爐，或者如果你的微波爐太小而無法容納你的麵團，你也可以在焗爐中使用相同的技巧。首先燒一些開水，倒入一個托盤內。 將托盤和發熱包 (如果你有的話)，連同你的麵團一拼放在焗爐內 (不要開焗爐)。 焗爐將為你的麵團提供一個潮濕的發酵環境。 這種方法唯一的缺點是，在你的麵團完成發酵的10-15分鐘之前，就要把所有東西都拿出來預熱焗爐了。

Second fermentation in oven, with the silver tray of hot water. 在焗爐中進行第二次發酵，熱水在銀盤中。

Useful Tips 溫馨提示

I highly recommend you to get a digital thermometer and hygrometer to measure the temperature and humidity inside your microwave or your oven.  As you can see in my photos below, the first photo was taken at the start of the fermentation process.  And the second photo was taken an hour later.  Both temperature and humidity was kept well around 33°C (91°F) and 82%.

我非常建議你使用電子溫度計和濕度計來測量微波爐或焗爐內的溫度和濕度。 看看下面的照片，第一張照片是在發酵過程開始時拍攝的， 第二張照片是在一小時後拍攝的。 溫度和濕度都能保持在33°C (91°F) 和82％左右。

More Bread Making Tips and Recipes 更多麵包製作技巧和食譜

For more information on bread making tips and recipes, see my other posts here.  I will keep adding more in my future posts.

想看更多麵包製作的技巧和食譜，請參閱我的其他文章，在這裡我將會繼續添加更多內容。