4 Ways To Make Dough Rise Faster - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Make Dough Rise Faster PDF download Download Article 15 Recipe Ratings Co-authored by Craig Watson and Kyle Hall

Last Updated: April 11, 2025 Fact Checked

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  • Letting Dough Rise in an Oven
    • |
  • Using a Damp Towel
    • |
  • Raising Dough in a Microwave
    • |
  • Using Rapid-Rise Yeast
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Tips
    • |
  • Warnings
    • |
  • Things You'll Need
|Show more |Show less X

This article was co-authored by Craig Watson and by wikiHow staff writer, Kyle Hall. Craig Watson is a Baker, Entrepreneur, and the Founder of Baked Cravings, a nut-free bakery in New York City. With eight years of experience, he specializes in creating high-quality baked goods in a nut-free facility. Baked Cravings has received The Best of Manhattan Award. Craig holds a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from New Jersey City University and a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from Wilmington University. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 341,360 times.

Before you can bake bread, you have to let the dough rise. Waiting for dough to rise usually takes anywhere between 1-3 hours, but who has time for that? If you're looking for a way to get that dough to rise faster, we're here to help. Below, we'll walk through all of the easiest and most effective ways to get your dough to rise quickly using the oven, microwave, and rapid-rise yeast. Let's get started.[1]

Top Tips for Making Dough Rise Faster

Expert baker Craig Watson says the key to making dough rise faster is to keep it warm, moist, and away from drafts. Do this by putting the dough in a preheated oven or on a warm counter with a damp towel draped over it. Or, put it in a sealed container in a warm water bath. Adding extra yeast or sugar can also help.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 4:

Letting Dough Rise in an Oven

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  1. Step 1 Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature setting for two minutes. 1 Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature setting for two minutes. Set a timer so you don’t lose track of the time. While the oven is preheating, start to bring a pot of water to boil on the stovetop. Turn the oven off after the two minutes are up.[2]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 2 Fill an oven-safe glass bowl with the boiling water. Use a medium to large size bowl. Fill the bowl so the water line is about 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) below the rim.[3] Advertisement
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 3 Place the bowl of boiling water in the oven and shut the door. Let the bowl of water sit in the oven while you prepare the dough. The warmth from the oven and the bowl of water will create a warm, humid environment for the dough to rise in.[4]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 4 Put the dough in an oven-safe pan and set it in the oven. Close the oven door.[5]
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 5 Leave the dough in the oven until it's doubled in size. Check the dough after 15 minutes to see if it's ready. If it's not, let it rise more in the oven and check back again in 15 minutes.[6] Ken Forkish Ken Forkish, Artisan Baker

    There are a few ways to speed up fermentation without compromising flavor or texture. One is to use a preferment, as the yeast in a preferment is already active. Another is to increase the quantity of yeast in the dough. And using warmer water and proofing dough in a warm environment can also reduce proofing time.

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Method 2 Method 2 of 4:

Using a Damp Towel

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  1. Step 1 Preheat your oven... 1 Preheat your oven to the temperature you’ll be baking the bread at. Usually bread is baked at around 350 to 500 °F (177 to 260 °C). Look at the recipe you’re using to make the bread for specific heating instructions.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 2 Rinse a kitchen towel under some warm water until it’s damp. You want the entire towel to be wet, but not soaked. If a lot of water is dripping from the towel, wring it out over a sink.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 3 Lay the damp towel over the dough. All of the dough should be covered with the towel. Stretch the towel so the edges are hanging off the side of the bowl or tray you’re raising the dough in. The moisture from the damp towel will help the dough rise faster.[7]
    • Use two overlapping damp towels if you have a lot of dough to cover.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 4 Place the covered dough near, but not on, the preheated oven. Some cleared off counter space right next to the oven will work. The heat coming from the oven will speed up the rising process.[8]
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 5 Let the dough rise until it’s doubled in size. Check the dough after 30 minutes to see if it’s finished rising. If it hasn’t doubled in size, re-cover the dough with the damp towel and check back again in 10 to 15 minutes.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 4:

Raising Dough in a Microwave

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 1 Fill a microwave-safe glass with 1 cup (0.24 liters) of water. Make sure the glass you use is small enough to fit in your microwave.[9]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 2 Microwave the glass of water on high for two minutes. After two minutes, open the microwave and move the glass of water to the side of the microwave to make room for the bowl of dough. Use an oven mitt or dish towel to move the glass in case it's hot.[10]
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 3 Place the dough you’ll be baking in a bowl. Use a bowl that’s small enough to fit in your microwave. Don’t worry if the bowl isn’t microwave safe - the microwave won’t be on when it’s in there.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 4 Set the bowl of dough in the microwave and shut the door. Leave the glass of water in the microwave with the dough. The glass of water and the heat from the microwave will create a warm, moist environment that will help the dough rise faster. Do not turn on the microwave.[11]
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 5 Let the dough rise for around 30 to 45 minutes. Check on the dough after 30 minutes to see if it’s finished. You’ll know it’s finished rising once it’s doubled in size. If it's not done rising, leave the dough in the microwave for another 15 minutes.[12]
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 6 Reheat the water if the dough doesn’t rise all the way. If after 45 minutes the dough still hasn’t doubled in size, remove it from the microwave. Reheat the glass of water on high for two minutes and then place the bowl of dough back in the microwave. Let the dough continue to rise for another 10 to 15 minutes.[13]
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Method 4 Method 4 of 4:

Using Rapid-Rise Yeast

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 1 Get rapid-rise yeast packets. Rapid-rise yeast comes in smaller granules, which makes it activate faster. Quicker yeast activation makes bread rise faster. Find rapid-rise yeast packets at your local grocery store. They might be labeled "instant yeast" or "quick-rise yeast."[14]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 2 Mix a packet of rapid-rise yeast in with the dry dough ingredients. Rapid-rise yeast doesn't need to be dissolved in water like regular yeast. Just mix it in with the flour and other ingredients you're using to make the dough. Check the recipe you're using to see how many yeast packets it calls for.
    • You can use hot water to dissolve regular yeast.[15]
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 3 Skip the first rise and shape the dough after kneading. If the recipe you're using calls for two rises, only do the second one. Dough only needs to rise once when it's made with rapid-rise yeast. Skipping the first rise will cut your total rise time in half.[16]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Dough Rise Faster 4 Let the dough rise once before baking. Place the dough in a warm, humid place to help it rise faster. Keep in mind that lean doughs that consist of mostly water and flour will rise faster than doughs that contain dairy, eggs, salts, and fat.[17]
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Community Q&A

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  • Question Can I dissolve my yeast in hot water and then add in my mixture? Community Answer Community Answer Hot water will kill the yeast. Try for water that is close to body temperature instead. Do keep in mind that the longer the dough sits, the more flavor it develops, so if you have the time, having it rise and then punching it down a few times over a day or two may yield tastier bread. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 4 Helpful 23
  • Question My bread is not rising. What can I do to make it rise? Fredwina Fredwina Community Answer You can reassess how you are adding the yeast. There may be something wrong with it or you aren't activating it. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 7 Helpful 16
  • Question What makes the middle of my bread “gooey“ after it’s baked? Cheri111 Cheri111 Community Answer That could be because the bread was not baked long enough. Try baking at a lower temperature for longer. Adding too much liquid or not enough flour could also cause a doughy center. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 6
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Video

Tips

  • A warm, humid environment makes dough rise faster by speeding up the fermentation process in the dough. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
  • Take a small bowl or a glass. Add yeast and some sugar and pour some warm water (not hot) and mix it well until the sugar dissolves completely. Then let it rise for at least 15 minutes. Add the mixture to the flour, then add some water if required and knead the dough until it becomes softer. If you follow these steps, your dough will rise more quickly. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 3
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • Avoid letting dough get above 120 °F (49 °C) as it's rising. Temperatures above this point will kill yeast. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0
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Things You’ll Need

Using a Damp Towel

  • Oven
  • Kitchen towel

Raising Dough in a Microwave

  • Microwave-safe glass
  • Microwave
  • Bowl

Letting Dough Rise in an Oven

  • Oven
  • Oven-safe glass bowl
  • Oven-safe pan

Using Rapid-Rise Yeast

  • Rapid-rise yeast packets

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References

  1. ↑ Craig Watson. Baker. Expert Interview
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3EsuaUa0OU&feature=youtu.be&t=31
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3EsuaUa0OU&feature=youtu.be&t=37
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3EsuaUa0OU&feature=youtu.be&t=42
  5. ↑ https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how_tos/6398-turning-your-oven-into-a-proof-box
  6. ↑ https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how_tos/6398-turning-your-oven-into-a-proof-box
  7. ↑ https://halicopteraway.com/2019/02/12/how-to-quickly-proof-bread-dough/
  8. ↑ https://halicopteraway.com/2019/02/12/how-to-quickly-proof-bread-dough/
  9. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/proof-your-bread-dough-in-the-microwave-35685
More References (8)
  1. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/proof-your-bread-dough-in-the-microwave-35685
  2. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/proof-your-bread-dough-in-the-microwave-35685
  3. ↑ https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2013/08/29/microwave-oven-for-a-bread-proofing-box-2/
  4. ↑ https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2013/08/29/microwave-oven-for-a-bread-proofing-box-2/
  5. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-active-dry-yeast-and-instant-yeast-54252
  6. ↑ Craig Watson. Baker. Expert Interview
  7. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-active-dry-yeast-and-instant-yeast-54252
  8. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/working-with-yeast-be-not-afra-72256

About This Article

Craig Watson Co-authored by: Craig Watson Baker This article was co-authored by Craig Watson and by wikiHow staff writer, Kyle Hall. Craig Watson is a Baker, Entrepreneur, and the Founder of Baked Cravings, a nut-free bakery in New York City. With eight years of experience, he specializes in creating high-quality baked goods in a nut-free facility. Baked Cravings has received The Best of Manhattan Award. Craig holds a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from New Jersey City University and a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from Wilmington University. This article has been viewed 341,360 times. 15 votes - 80% Co-authors: 17 Updated: April 11, 2025 Views: 341,360 Categories: Bread Making Tips Article SummaryX

To make dough rise faster, start by preheating your oven at the lowest temperature setting for 2 minutes. As the oven is preheating, bring a pot of water to a boil and then pour it into an oven-safe dish. Then, turn off the oven and place the dish filled with water inside of it while you prepare the dough. Once the dough is finished, place it in the oven with the water and check on it every 15 minutes until it's done rising. To learn how to make dough rise faster in a microwave or using a damp towel, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Craig Watson Co-authored by: Craig Watson Baker Co-authors: 17 Updated: April 11, 2025 Views: 341,360 80% of voters found this recipe helpful. 15 votes - 80% Click a star to add your vote

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