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I know the dry yeast proofing is at 100 - 110F, but what about the water that goes into the flour?

Ska
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  • You sure you want to bother with it? It is as close to 0 celsius as you can get it, but seldom worth it. Also, 100 F is not "best" for yeast proofing, it is "most convenient+worst taste". Whether this is best or not depends on your goals. – rumtscho May 22 '14 at 23:07
  • Interesting angle about yeast, I'd like to know more. So, basically as cold as it gets for the water that goes into the flour, what could be the symptoms if I use warmer water? – Ska May 22 '14 at 23:16
  • The symptoms would be worse gluten development. With usual pizza making practices, you are likely to get good enough gluten even if you don't cool the water, and the logistics of cold water are a PITA. You have to make your sponge with room temp water though, only the water in the flour can be so cold. Read Corriher's Cookwise for more detail, I probably won't have the time for a longer answer in the next days. Maybe somebody else will explain it, we have a few people here with knowledge of dough theory. – rumtscho May 22 '14 at 23:20
  • I hope we *are* talking about dry yeast, I didn't make it clear in the question, correcting now. – Ska May 23 '14 at 16:17

1 Answers1

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Choosing a temperature means choosing between proofing speed and flavor + gluten development. Higher temperatures (say 80-90 f) will get you a fast rise, but less flavor and gluten is not as well developed. A long, slow rise in the refrigerator takes much longer and typically gives you better flavor and texture.

Here's a link to a good page on temperature and yeast.

GdD
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