How to Proof Bread Dough in your Instant Pot - Cooking With Karli (2024)

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Proofing Bread Dough in your Instant Pot can cut your rising time in HALF! You’ll learn how it works and how you can shorten your homemade bread rising time, too.

How to Proof Bread Dough in your Instant Pot - Cooking With Karli (1)

Everyone loves freshly baked bread, right? Unfortunately, most bread recipes require you having to wait forever for the dough to proof before baking and eating. Thankfully with the Instant Pot method, you can have proofed bread dough in minutes instead of hours.

Proofing bread dough in the Instant Pot

How it works

The yogurt button on your Instant Pot is the perfect environment to cultivate rapid yeast growth! Yeast, used in baking most breads, needs a warm moist place for it to thrive and grow, aka make your bread dough rise.

The yogurt button creates a temperature controlled space that is both warm and moist.

How to rise your bread dough with your Instant Pot

All you’ll need to do is place your dough into a greased Instant Pot with a fitted lid (or plate) on top. It doesn’t need to be a fancy Instant Pot glass lid, using a lid from a pots and pan set in your kitchen works great.

Press the yogurt setting (and make sure it is on Normal) on the Instant Pot to poof the dough quickly. Now all you need to do is wait!

When your dough is finished proofing (usually double in size, you’ll want to follow your recipe for exact directions), simply use it as directed by your recipe and you’re good to go!

How to Proof Bread Dough in your Instant Pot - Cooking With Karli (2)

Things to remember about using the Instant Pot for bread proofing

Firstly, you need to have an Instant Pot yogurt setting to do this. If your pressure cooker doesn’t have a yogurt setting, unfortunately you’re out of luck. So keep an eye on Amazon and sales and try to get one cheap because it’s probably the most used feature on my own Instant Pot.

Also, not every bread recipe wants you to proof the exact same way. For example I have several bread recipes on my website and some ask for a single proofing where others ask for several. So keep that in mind and make sure that you take a good look at the bread recipes you’ll be following to make sure that you have a good understanding of what’s being asked and how you can manage this method with that recipe.

Instant Pot Bread Recipes

  • French Bread
  • Cinnamon Rolls
  • Dinner Rolls
  • Bagels
  • Soft Pretzels
  • Ciabatta Rolls
  • Bread Bowls
  • Crazy Bread
How to Proof Bread Dough in your Instant Pot - Cooking With Karli (3)

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How to Proof Bread Dough in your Instant Pot - Cooking With Karli (4)

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Proofing Bread Dough in Instant Pot

By: Karli Bitner

Proofing Bread Dough in your Instant Pot can cut your rising time in HALF! You'll learn how it works and how you can shorten your homemade bread rising time, too.

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • Prepared Bread Dough

Instructions

  • When you have your prepared bread dough and you are ready for it to rest and rise, plug your Instant pot in.

  • Grease the liner with either olive oil or spray with cooking spray.

  • Place your dough inside the liner. Cover with a lid. (if using the Instant Pot lid, set to venting.)

  • Press the yogurt button and adjust until it shows 'normal' and 8:00 is on the display. The Instant Pot will beep and then begin counting up.

  • Now, allow the dough to rise according to your recipe, usually either double or triple. Use the measurement marks on the side of the liner to help you measure once your dough has doubled.

  • If you would like some specific bread recipes with exact proofing times, check the notes below.

Video

Notes

Instant Pot Bread Recipes

  • French Bread
  • Cinnamon Rolls
  • Dinner Rolls
  • Bagels
  • Soft Pretzels
  • Ciabatta Rolls
  • Bread Bowls
  • Crazy Bread

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

How to Proof Bread Dough in your Instant Pot - Cooking With Karli (2024)

FAQs

How to Proof Bread Dough in your Instant Pot - Cooking With Karli? ›

The yogurt button on your Instant Pot is the perfect environment to cultivate rapid yeast growth! Yeast, used in baking most breads, needs a warm moist place for it to thrive and grow, aka make your bread dough rise. The yogurt button creates a temperature controlled space that is both warm and moist.

How to proof bread in an Instant Pot? ›

Stretch a piece of plastic wrap across the top of the Instant Pot, then press the “Yogurt” button, making sure it is set to “Normal,” as opposed to “More” or “Less.” What is this? Then step back and let the yeast do their thing until your dough has expanded however much your recipe says it should.

Does the Instant Pot have a proof setting? ›

Can my Instant Pot DUO 6qt be used to proof no-knead sourdough bread dough? Your Instant Pot Duo can definitely do that! By using the “Yogurt” function, toggle it to Normal. Just make sure that you don't exceed the 1/2 mark on the Inner Pot when doing this.

What is the best way to proof bread dough? ›

To proof bread in the oven, place a glass baking dish on the bottom rack of the oven and fill it with boiling water. Stash your dough on the middle or top rack and shut the door. The steam and heat from the boiling water will create a warm and steamy environment for the dough—exactly what you want for a good rise.

Can you proof dough in Instant Pot without yogurt setting? ›

If your Instant Pot does not have a YOGURT FEATURE, use the SOUS VIDE FEATURE. Set the temperature to 32C / 90° F. using the + or – buttons. Place the glass lid on the top and wait for temperature to incubate.

How to know when bread dough is proofed? ›

Gently press your finger into the dough on the top. If the dough springs back quickly, it's underproofed. If it springs back very slowly, it's properly proofed and ready to bake. Finally, if it never springs back, the dough is overproofed.

Why won't my Instant Pot duo crisp seal? ›

If you've just completed cooking something, the sealing ring may still be in its expanded state preventing the Instant Pot from sealing. SOLUTION: Try placing the Instant Pot sealing ring in the freezer or run it under cold water to contract it. You can also try and turn the sealing ring over and replace it.

Can you prove bread in an air fryer? ›

Absolutely! Ninja air fryers work great for baking bread. Many of them have a setting for proving dough too. Air fryers like the Ninja Flexidrawer have enough room for a large loaf or a panini.

Do you need to cover bread when proofing? ›

“Draping your dough with a kitchen towel is not a sufficient cover — your dough will dry out, forming a skin,” says Martin. “Use an airtight lid, bowl cover, or plastic wrap instead.” If you're doing a lot of bread baking, consider a lidded dough-rising bucket.

How long is too long to proof bread dough? ›

If you want to let you dough proof for longer, try bulk-fermenting it in a cooler place, but don't allow it to go longer than three hours or structure and flavor may be compromised. For the workhorse loaf, a bulk proof of approximately two hours gives us the optimal balance of flavor and texture.

What is the best temperature to proof bread? ›

Temperature Guidelines

A universal temperature that works well for a wide variety of breads is 81°F (27°C). If you love simplicity, just set the Proofer to 81°F and know that it will work well for most breads. Sourdough works in a range of 70-85°F (21-30°C).

Do you need to proof bread with instant yeast? ›

Not only does it skip the proofing/dissolving step, instant yeast simply ramps up more quickly than active dry. Dough made with instant yeast and shaped into a loaf will rise to its optimal height significantly more quickly than a shaped loaf made with active dry yeast.

Can you put aluminum foil in an Instant Pot pressure cooker? ›

Overall, using aluminum foil in an Instant Pot can be a convenient way to cook food, but it is important to use it properly to avoid damaging the appliance or creating a potential safety hazard.

How do you proof instant dry yeast? ›

To proof yeast, place yeast in a warm liquid (100 to 110 degrees F – it should be warm but not hot) with a little sugar and let it sit for a few minutes. Once it's foamy and creamy looking, you know the yeast is active and viable for baking.

What container do you proof bread in? ›

Any bowl or basket will work well to hold bread dough during proofing, though some bowls and baskets work better than others. I like to use containers with little space to let the dough rise uninhibited.

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