I’ll be honest: the Brød and Taylor Folding Proofer was not something I thought I particularly had to have. When I needed to keep my dough or starter snug and warm, I had been content with makeshift “proofing boxes”: the oven with the light on, the top of my stove under the range hood lights, or a big plastic bag with a frequently-changed bowl of warm water.
But now that I have one, I’m over makeshift. The Brød and Taylor Folding Proofer is a tool that does one thing, does it well and without a fuss, and makes my baking life easier. It’s hard to ask for more than that from your equipment, isn’t it?
Plug it in, set the temperature, nestle your fermenting dough or proofing loaf inside its cozy incubator, and rest easy. Your dough will be well-cared-for at a consistent temperature, even if the temperature in your kitchen is not very bread-friendly. And constant temperatures make for more predictable proofing times. That’s good news if you’re a control freak, or if you just like your bread to turn out well.
The proofer has a roomy, collapsible design. It has an 18 x 14.5-inch footprint and folds down to less than 3 inches thick for compact storage. The interior dimensions are 15 x 12.5 x 8.5 inches, which can accommodate a quarter-sheet pan, most 12-cup muffin pans, two or three loaf pans or oval brotforms, or two round brotforms of up to 8 inches in diameter. I can create a second layer for additional loaves by stacking two 12-inch square baking pans with Sklips. I do wish the proofer were just a skosh larger, to take a half-sheet pan (13 x 18 inches).
The operation of the box couldn’t be simpler: plug it in and set the temperature you want (70F – 120F). To keep the dough from drying out, you’ll probably want to add some humidity with the included water tray.
Brød And Taylor’s website offers some ideas for other uses of the proofer besides proofing dough: making yogurt, warming dinner plates, softening butter, melting and tempering chocolate. I’ll add starting and maintaining a wild yeast starter (and especially the sweet starter for your holiday panettone). What else could you do?
Now here’s even more great news: The generous people at Brød And Taylor have a proofer waiting for a lucky one of you. The details:
- To enter, leave a comment on this post about why you love baking (or why you want to learn).
- The winner will be randomly drawn by me at approximately 9 A. M. PDT on Saturday, March 31, 2012.
- One comment per person please.
- The proofer can ship to a continental U.S. address only.
- Full disclosure: Brød And Taylor gave me a proofer to review and keep. I received no other compensation.
I’m addicted to bread and the challenges of making it.
I love baking as a stress-reliever. For bread in particular, I love that putting together a few basic ingredients (bread, water, yeast) can result in something so much greater than its parts.
For cookies/quick breads/cakes/what have you, I love sharing them and making people happy. And the compliments are always good for one’s ego. 🙂
After reading a historical article on American pioneer women and their salt rising bread, I had an overwhelming desire to make some. I found many recipes on line but I used a recipe found in my grandmother’s 1939 Watkins cookbook that used fermented potatoes to create the clostridium bacteria used to leaven the bread. I thought, if my ancestors could make it without all the creature comforts I enjoy, surely I can. Well. . .I have a new-found respect for my ancestors. After several failures, I doggedly kept trying and finally got successful loaf of salt rising bread. Eureka! What began as an historical interest erupted into a full-blown passion. I began reading, and studying, and researching all kinds of breads, flours, leavenings, pre-ferments, and techniques. My only regret is that I just began this wonderful adventure at the age of 62. Oh, so much bread, and so little time!!
Well, in this case this proofer is evidence that the “end justifies the means.” Why do I love baking (bread)? Let me count the ways:
I love bread to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love bread to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love bread freely, as men strive for right;
I love bread purely, as they turn from praise,
I love bread with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love bread with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints -I love bread with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!
Holding a deep golden brown pain bordelais, my darling boulangère stands at the door of a neighbor delivering her baked goodness to
another neighbor, friend, or social event—gorgeous crust, great oven spring. The recipients add a tandsmør amount of butter and enjoy. She doesn’t want recognition. Just knowing that she can provide great baked goods for others is the quintessential source of joy in her life. I get folded into the process when I am frequently charged with feeding the starter, or folding the bread according to schedule. As a helper, I’m even learning how not to overwork dough. I’m not great at shaping or handling a lame, but I love the feel of the dough on my fingers and hands. So does our three year old rising petite boulangère. For this, I love baking: that her leaven, love, is added to her breads with which she loves others. Have to run, time to fold the dough. Jeg elsker brød!
I got into baking bread because I find it to be very therapeutic and relaxing from a week of stress from work and life in general. I have dedicated my Sundays for bread baking. Even though we don’t consume as much as the bread that I make, most of it goes to neighbors and friends. It makes me feel good to know that the bread that my family eats only contains natural ingredients and lots of tlc.
I love making things from scratch, I’m fascinated with wild fermentation, and I don’t have a lot of money so baking bread is the perfect pastime for me. I don’t think that there is any other food that I am willing to make and eat day in and day out without growing tired of it.
baking is a great stress reliever. (plus, non-bakers adore you and are happy to eat even “mistakes” 🙂 )
My daughter and I have begun baking different breads every day. I’m such a beginner and am looking forward to learning so much.
I love the endless variation and complexity you can get from just four simple ingredients. Thanks for the great blog!
It makes me happy when I break into a loaf of bread that I made that has turned out as I hoped for. This is not always the case but there is always next time.
I love baking because there is a whole world of flavors and textures out there to discover, and because each bag of flour offers so many possibilities. It is exciting and inspiring to see the creativity and skill displayed by those who share their breads and baking on your site, and fun to see bread dough used as an artistic medium. Thank you so much for your wonderful website, and for the chance to win a B&T proofer. :^) breadsong
Making bread and sharing it with friends and family is love.
Thank you for the opportunity of a chance to win the machine. I love baking because I love eating bread. The process fascinates me. And I want to be able to eventually bake healthy bread for my family. I am happy when family likes what I bake.
I have fallen in love with baking over the last 2 years because I had to control my ingredients due to health reasons 2 years ago. With that I was happy to find that I really enjoyed baking and when the breads turn out right it gives me a great sense of accomplishment, and when they don’t turn out right it is fun to figure out what the heck went wrong. (like last week when I was messing around with ciabatta and forgot the salt….) I’m still making lots of mistakes to keep it entertaining 🙂
I also like peoples reactions when I say lets make pizza, and they act surprised that I mean the dough as well 🙂
That is so cool. I love the way it collapses for storage. Not that you’d be storing it all that much.
Please enter me in the giveaway.
My spring vacation starts tomorrow so I’m going to be baking bread a little more often. Thanks for the inspiration your blog provides.
What a fab idea it would save the guess work.
My kitchen always seems too hot or too cold to proof. I can’t get my bread to rise like it should. Never was a problem in other houses I’ve lived in. I could use this. Thanks for the chance!
I love homemade sourdough bread! I would like to win this proofing box for my girlfriend. 😛
I love peoples reactions to what I bake. I’m still learning but people kept on acting surprised I made a braided bread a few weeks back. I felt like a rockstar!