Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
Cold rising or cold proving?
English answer:
Rising
Added to glossary by
Christine Andersen
Oct 12, 2015 09:31
8 yrs ago
6 viewers *
English term
Denmark
the message, not just the words
Native in: English (Variant: UK) 
Works in: Danish to English, English
Cold rising or cold proving?
English
Other
Cooking / Culinary
the yeast process in breadmaking
I have an enquiry about a collection of baking recipes - the Great Bake-Off has reached us too, but these particular ones are traditional Scandinavian recipes, some with yeast.
I can see that a lot of people refer to ´proving´ the dough, rather than ´leaving it to rise´, and wonder which is best in a context where I am asked to write UK English. (The dictionary says ´proofing´ bread is mainly American.)
My family baked a lot of bread, and always left it to rise, which is immediately understandable for readers who may not be native speakers of English. Some recipes at least will end up on a website.
On a quick rummage in my own books, I can see that Delia and Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall seem to let the dough rise, while Nigella's bread proves. Crank´s uses both expressions... One encyclopaedia suggests that ´proving´ is the second rising, after the bread or rolls are formed, but I doubt that many people make the distinction.
The question arises because this writer prefers cold-rising or cold-proving, but points out that all recipes can be adjusted for warm-rising.
I am probably going to go for rising, but would like to hear people´s thoughts - and I might even go for ´proving´ in the translation if someone provides a very good explanation. :-)
I can see that a lot of people refer to ´proving´ the dough, rather than ´leaving it to rise´, and wonder which is best in a context where I am asked to write UK English. (The dictionary says ´proofing´ bread is mainly American.)
My family baked a lot of bread, and always left it to rise, which is immediately understandable for readers who may not be native speakers of English. Some recipes at least will end up on a website.
On a quick rummage in my own books, I can see that Delia and Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall seem to let the dough rise, while Nigella's bread proves. Crank´s uses both expressions... One encyclopaedia suggests that ´proving´ is the second rising, after the bread or rolls are formed, but I doubt that many people make the distinction.
The question arises because this writer prefers cold-rising or cold-proving, but points out that all recipes can be adjusted for warm-rising.
I am probably going to go for rising, but would like to hear people´s thoughts - and I might even go for ´proving´ in the translation if someone provides a very good explanation. :-)
Responses
+4
13 mins
Selected
Rising
The two terms are used interchangeably these days, but there is a difference in meaning, and proving was originally used only for the final rising before baking.
Note from asker:
| Thanks! I can see that where the Crank's book uses both expressions, it follows the principle of dough rising, then proving after baps or whatever have been formed. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Charles Davis
6 mins
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Mòran taing, Charles.
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| agree |
Erzsébet Czopyk
: checked some recipes: rising
37 mins
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Mòran taing
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| agree |
Yvonne Gallagher
: "proving" still used by bakers to denote final rising but don't like "cold-proving" as too similar to "cold-proofing" which is totally different!
2 hrs
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Mòran taing
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| agree |
Tushar Deep
6 hrs
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Mòran taing
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks! I definitely had a run for my money with this one!"
Discussion
Now to get baking... while waiting to see if I get the job! But assuming I do, I will probably end up with proving, at least in some of the older sourdough recipes, and will see how I go with the others.
On the subject of cold rising, it produces a much denser, close textured bread because the bubbles of CO2 are smaller.
The dough is too sticky to knead, but you can see the texture changes as you mix, and experienced breadmakers know when it is ready. It is not that critical anyway - just mix for ten minutes or maybe a little longer and bake. The dough sticks less to the sides of the bowl when it is ready.
Recipe and a good picture here:
http://timetocookonline.com/2011/07/01/no-knead-bread-the-gr...
or in the Crank's cookbook.
We dropped the sugar at some point, and NEVER used white flour as some references seem to suggest!
Good white bread is a completely different thing.
In later years my father, who was still baking at 90, maintained he could complete the process from start to finish inside three hours, but he used more yeast than when I was a child, and put the loaves to rise on top of the stove for maximum an hour. The bread was still excellent!
2 pounds stone-ground wholemeal flour, approx. 30 fluid ounces water, ½ -1 ounce yeast and a teaspoon salt (I think, possibly more salt, but we always measured it in the palm of a hand!)
Simply stir all ingredients for 10-15 minutes by hand, turn into two greased baking tins and allow to double in size, bake in a hot oven for about 45 minutes.
BTW, it's an excellent recipe, tried and tested many times.
Here is the Wikipedia link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proofing_(baking_technique)
It would be a shame to lose the more specialist term proving by just calling everything "rising". Besides impoverishing the language, it would also lose the idea that you are letting the yeast prove that it is alive and kicking.
"[...] alternatively, knead it in the evening and leave to rise overnight.
Deflate the risen dough by punching it down with your knuckles on a lightly floured surface. You now need to prove the dough (give it a second rising)."
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/may/10/hugh-fea...
But most people use them as synonyms. Jamie O refers to first prove and second prove.
Of course, "rise" is intransitive whereas "prove" can be either transitive or intransitive (you can prove the dough or allow it to prove), so that might condition which verb you choose in a specific context.