On Wed, 8 Mar 2006 18:44:58 -0500, "Dee Randall"
> wrote:

>
>"djs0302" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>>
>> Dee Randall wrote:
>>>
>>> See above wherein I stated:
>>> I let it proof for maybe 3 hours (when it
>>> > called for 30-45 minutes) and finally gave up the ghost about 11pm last
>>> > night and put it in the frig.
>>>
>>> It sure got a lot of rising and proofing. 6-7 hours rising, 3 hours
>>> proofing, then overnight!
>>> I never had any trouble with raisin bread in a bread-maker, but then, the
>>> recipe I used only called for 3 TB of sugar or honey. When I made that
>>> recipe I used 3T of just about any kind of sweetener I wanted: carob
>>> molasses, date molasses, briar rabbit, any organic sugar or honey on
>>> hand.
>>> Thanks for your response, I appreciate it.
>>> Dee Dee
>>
>> Have you ever tried using your microwave oven as a proof box? You
>> place a cup of water in the microwave and bring it to a boil. Then you
>> move the cup of water off to the side and place the bread dough inside
>> the oven and shut the door. The dough itself does not get microwaved.
>> I've also done the same thing using a large pot on the stove. I place
>> a rack inside the pot. Then I add a tiny bit of water and bring the
>> water to a boil. After the water has boiled a few seconds I remove the
>> pot from the stove and place the loaf of bread inside the pot on top of
>> the rack. The rack is to keep the bread out of the water. I then
>> cover the pot with a lid. I remember proofing a loaf of raisin bread
>> this way and it seemed to work out well. I don't remember the recipe
>> because it was quite a while back and I haven't made it since. I don't
>> like raisin bread myself, but I knew someone who did and made some for
>> them for either their birthday or Christmas.
>
>Thanks for your proof box ideas. Yes, I've tried so many my head swims.
>I've concocted some of my own. Mostly what I do nowadays is put it in a
>container, cover it and let it sit in a room that is in the winter months
>consistenly 80-82º. I could turn that room up a little more, but for some
>reason I've decided on those figures. (Go figure -- ha ha!) For the first
>rise, I put it in this same room in a straight-sided see-thru plastic
>container marked in steps (in quarts and half quarts) and write down where
>it started and where I expect it to rise to. I like the straight side
>because there are no considerations as to how much it actually did rise.
>
>I could be wrong on rising and proofing at 80-82 for these types of bread.
>If it is a artisanal bread, I don't care how long it takes to rise (perhaps
>I should); but I just look-see. If it hasn't moved, I will put it in the
>refrigerator overnight.
>Thanks,
>Happy bread-making,
>Dee Dee
>

Put a rubber band around the plastic container at the level of the
dough. You can also put one on at the finish level if you wish.
An Alton Brown tip.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974