My bread proofing changed after I stopped using the oven light trick

I used to proof everything in my oven with just the light on, took like 4 hours each time and the dough always came out uneven... last month I tried putting my bowls on top of my fridge instead, near the vent where the warm air comes out, and it's a total different game. The temp sits around 78 degrees there versus the oven's 85, and my loaves puff up way smoother, no more crusty edges on the bottom from the heat coil. I tracked it with a cheap thermometer I got at Target, and the fridge spot held steady the whole time, even when my kitchen got drafty. The real shocker was the timing, dropped to about 2 and a half hours for the same recipe, and the crumb has these tiny even holes now instead of those big random ones. Anyone else find a weird spot in their kitchen that just works better than the usual setups?

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olivia7571mo ago

I read something a while back about how proofing is more about consistency than raw heat, and your fridge vent story totally backs that up. The way you described those big random holes disappearing is exactly what that article said happens when the dough isn't fighting a too warm spot. I've never tried the fridge trick myself, but I did hear from a friend who bakes a lot that the area near her water heater in the laundry room works great for her, steady around 76 degrees. It's wild how we all just invent these weird little workarounds instead of buying a proofing box. I bet the crusty bottom issue is way more common than people admit, the oven light never seems to heat evenly no matter what. Your experience makes me want to hunt for a spot in my kitchen with a thermometer before my next batch, so thanks for sharing the numbers.