Using a proofer for sub bread.... need a little help.

[Integraoligist]

We usually proof our subs for 1 hour and 45 minutes at room temperature (about 72F) then bake. We are trying to utilize our new Holding cabinet / Proofer but we are having difficulty getting the time/temp down for the bread.

What is the average time/temp we should be working around?
Tested at 150F for 45 minutes, it flattened the bread.
At 130F for 30 minutes, it was still decently large but the bottom stayed flat and did not pull up from the bun pan.

Thanks all!

 

[GotRocks]

I believe yeast gets killed above 110F

What was wrong with your old method to make you switch? Maybe duplicate those temps, and add some humidity?

 

[Integraoligist]

I’ll try the temp at 110f and see what happens… we’re trying to utilize the proofer to speed the production of the bread.

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

Your proofer should be set at 95 to 100F with 85 to 87% relative humidity. This will be a 3 to 4F difference between the wet and dry bulb readings with the wet bulb being the lower of the two. To get wet and dry bulb readings just use a stem type thermometer and place it in the proofer for 10-minutes, this will give you the dry bulb reading, now, using the same thermometer, pass it through the upper portion of a styrofoam cup and fill the cup about half full of water that has been tempered to the dry bulb temperature, now take a piece of paper towel or cotton cloth and wrap it once or twice around the stem portion that is inside of the cup allowing the ends of the material to drop into the water, place into the proofer in the same spot where you took the dry bulb reading and allow to set for a minimum of 20-minutes before reading the temperature. Remember, you’re looking for a 3 to 4F spread, if the spread is more than this you will need to add humidity to the cabinet, if the spread is less you will need to reduce the humidity in the cabinet. With correct yeast levels (around 4% for a hoagie bun dough (compressed yeast) and a dough temperature of about 80F the formed dough pieces should be properly proofed in 45 to 60-minutes under these conditions.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor