Dough Proofing Time Calculator for Bulk and Final

This dough proofing time calculator for bulk and final fermentation planning turns your dough temperature, inoculation, and flour choice into an actionable schedule. The estimates assume a gentle workflow and typical home kitchen conditions with draft free storage and moderate hydration.

Commercial yeast uses percent of flour for instant or active yeast. Sourdough uses levain percent relative to total flour in the dough. Higher inoculation shortens the timeline; cooler dough lengthens it. Whole grain doughs ferment faster; enriched doughs with sugar and fat tend to slow down.

• Bulk rise percentage is the increase in volume you are targeting before shaping.
• Use the fold reminders to support structure without tearing the dough.
• For a cold retard, the fridge continues fermentation slowly; the tool credits that progress.

After calculating, review the summary for bulk time, a suggested folding cadence, and the expected final proof. If the numbers feel aggressive, reduce inoculation or proof slightly cooler; if they feel sluggish, warm the dough or increase the ratio of preferment or yeast.

The model scales from simple references at twenty four degrees Celsius using a two times per ten degree rule of thumb. For commercial yeast, the baseline assumes one percent instant yeast yields about one and a half hours to reach a seventy five percent bulk rise with all purpose flour. For sourdough, twenty percent levain typically reaches the same rise in roughly four and a half hours. Times scale inversely with inoculation and adjust for flour type.

Final proof estimates follow the same temperature rule with a baseline of one hour for yeast and two and a half hours for sourdough at room temperature. If you select a fridge retard, the calculator measures the fraction of proof achieved cold based on your fridge setting, then subtracts that fraction from the room temperature estimate to show remaining time after the chill.