By L VALERIOTE
The Dough Poke Test To Tell If Your Bread Is Perfectly Proofed
Baking bread involves mixing, kneading, and stretching, but the simple poke test is also a critical step. It determines if your dough has proofed and is ready for the oven.
By lightly pressing a floured finger into the dough, you can gauge its consistency, ensuring the perfect texture. When you pull it back, a shallow concave space should remain.
Proofing time for bread varies depending on factors like recipe, ingredients, and environmental conditions. The poke test enables you to gauge how springy and soft the dough is.
Do the poke test once your dough has completed the suggested proofing time or has visibly grown to about twice its original size.
It should move slowly by this point, so if the dough recovers quickly, give it some more time and try the poke test again later.