Post by Michele Chavis (Sunrise at Sophie's):

Hello. My name is Michele Chavis and I have been a working pastry chef in the triangle area for seven years now. I have recently gone rouge and started a small bakery of my own in Holly Springs called, Sunrise at Sophie's. When I run my booth at the Holly Springs Farmer's Market every Saturday, I often get questions from the patrons of the farmer's market about some of their baking problems. Questions like, "Hey Michele, do you know why my muffins NEVER rise?" or "Why is my pie dough always soggy and never flaky?"

Over the weekend I was asked a question that I have been asked many times before. There have friends, families, and customers alike asking for tips to get bread dough (sweet dough like cinnamon bun dough in particular) to rise more quickly in their houses when it is cool. You don't need any expensive equipment or a 24 hour time frame to make cinnamon buns, brioche, or challah, and after all, who has that kind of time. Here are some simple and inexpensive tips to get your bread dough to rise in a cool house.

1) Adding a tablespoon of vinegar or orange juice concentrate to get to dough to rise higher and give your yeast a little boost to get the energy it needs to get started.

2) Put your dough on top of the dryer or in the garage to get the warmth you need to kick start your yeast. No need for a proof box.

3) Use a sponge. A sponge is a starter that is meant to be used the same day, or up to the day before, the bread needs to be baked. To use a sponge simply put all of the liquid, half of the flour, and half of the yeast in a bread recipe in a container and set on the counter for 1 to 3 hours. After the time is up, put the sponge in the bowl of a mixer or bowl and add the rest of the ingredients from the recipe and continue on with the recipe as directed.

I hope the these tips help but if you still don't have time to make homemade bread then I have included a recipe that takes little to no time to make and tastes like silk. It can also be adapted to be used in several different recipes.

Naan: yield 4 pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 cups warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
3 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons of melted butter
3 tablespoons of plain yogurt

Add dry yeast and sugar to warm water. Leave for 10 minutes. Then mix flour and salt with a fork. Now add yeast/water, 3 tablespoons of melted butter, and yogurt and knead to a soft dough.

Put dough into an oiled bowl, cover and let rest for 90 minutes. After 90 minutes, punch down and knead again for 5 minutes.

Divide equally into 8 pieces. Roll these pieces out into rounds (they don't have to be perfectly round, just the basic shape). Cook in a pan with a bit of melted butter.

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