Proofing Time Calculator

Work out proofing time instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Proofing Time Calculator

Yeast activity roughly doubles for every 10 degrees Celsius rise, so proofing time is scaled by 2 to the power of (reference temperature - actual temperature) / 10. This is why a dough that takes two hours in a 24 C kitchen is ready in about ninety minutes at 28 C, and why cold retarding overnight works at all.

Formula

Temperature scaling

adjusted time = base time x 2 ^ ((reference temp - actual temp) / 10)

Worked example

With the default values below, Proofing Time Calculator returns Adjusted proofing time of 91. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Proofing time at the reference temperatureminimum 1 min: 120 min
Reference dough temperatureaccepts 1–40 C: 24 C
Actual dough temperatureaccepts 1–40 C: 28 C

Results

Adjusted proofing time: 91 min
Time in hours and minutes: 1h 31m
Time multiplier: 0.7579
Minutes saved or added: 29 min

Step by step

1Values used
2Temperature scaling
3Adjusted proofing time= 91 min
4Time in hours and minutes= 1h 31m
5Time multiplier= 0.7579
6Minutes saved or added= 29 min

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Proofing Time figure worked out?

adjusted time = base time x 2 ^ ((reference temp - actual temp) / 10). Yeast activity roughly doubles for every 10 degrees Celsius rise, so proofing time is scaled by 2 to the power of (reference temperature - actual temperature) / 10.

Why does this matter?

This is why a dough that takes two hours in a 24 C kitchen is ready in about ninety minutes at 28 C, and why cold retarding overnight works at all.

What do I need to enter?

Enter proofing time at the reference temperature, reference dough temperature, actual dough temperature. The defaults shown are a realistic worked example — swap in your own figures to get a result you can use.