My babka dough turned into soup after I left it on the radiator

I was at my apartment in Chicago last Tuesday trying to prove the dough overnight and thought the radiator would be a nice warm spot. Came back 3 hours later and it had literally melted into a puddle of butter and flour. Had to start over from scratch with cold butter this time. Has anyone else had a prove go totally sideways from too much heat?

2 comments

2 Comments

mitchell.wade19d ago

Left my brioche on a heating vent one winter and came back to what looked like a greasy pancake. I used to think more warmth meant faster rise, but that experience totally changed my mind. Learned the hard way that anything above 80 degrees just turns your butter into oil and kills the yeast. Now I use my oven with just the light on and it stays around 75, works way better. That radiator mistake taught me slow and steady is actually the way to go with enriched doughs.

faith1219d ago

Honestly, I totally feel your pain! Ngl, I tried to speed up a challah dough once by putting it on top of my fridge near the vent. Came back an hour later and it was a greasy, sticky mess. The butter literally pooled at the bottom of the bowl. Had to scrap the whole thing and start over. That slow and steady thing is real - now I just stick my dough in the microwave with a cup of hot water and it proofs perfect every time. Better safe than cleaning up a puddle of butter and flour again.