To fix dough that won't rise, try placing the dough on the lowest rack in your oven along with a baking pan filled with boiling water. Close the oven door and let the dough rise. Increasing the temperature and moisture can help activate the yeast in the dough so it rises. You can also try adding more yeast.
“The first thing that springs to mind,” Bertinet says, “is that your dough is probably too cold.” Or, put another way, the water you're using isn't warm enough. “It's vital you give the yeast a helping hand, otherwise it'll just slumber lazily,” he says, adding that your water/ flour/salt/yeast ratio is also crucial.
The final result of baking dough that hasn't risen will not be worth it, as you won't achieve the perfect bread you're dreaming of! This doesn't mean it's time to throw the dough straight in the trash! Instead, it may be more useful to repurpose your dough into a different recipe.
Most recipes call for the bread to double in size – this can take one to three hours, depending on the temperature, moisture in the dough, the development of the gluten, and the ingredients used. Generally speaking, a warm, humid environment is best for rising bread.
The most common reason why sourdough bread is not rising is an immature starter, but if your starter is fully active, then it's likely that you've not given it enough time to ferment. Give your sourdough bread at least 4 hours to bulk ferment, plus a further 3-4 hour second rise before baking.
Cover the bowl with wrap or a very damp kitchen cloth. Let rest in a warm spot to rise. The dough is ready when it no longer looks dense and has doubled in size. This can take anywhere from 3-12 hours depending on the temperature of your ingredients, the potency of your starter and surrounding environment.
If your sourdough is not rising during bulk fermentation at all, you might need to strengthen your sourdough starter. If you notice the dough is under proofed during preshaping or shaping, simply give it a longer bench rest.
If it does not double in volume, you will risk your dough being under fermented which results in dense, gummy bread with no air. Many people say to only let your dough grow 30-50% - but it must double to ensure that you get lots of bubbles.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees for 1-2 minutes to get it nice and toasty, then turn it off. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap, then put it inside the oven and let rise until doubled (about 45-60 minutes).
Increasing the temperature and moisture can help activate the yeast in the dough so it rises. You can also try adding more yeast. Open a new packet of yeast and mix 1 teaspoon (3 g) of it with 1 cup (240 mL) of warm water and 1 tablespoon (13 g) of sugar. Let the yeast mixture proof for 10 minutes.
Check For Bubbles And A “Yeasty” Smell
You should have a bubbly mixture that smells very “yeasty”. If the bubbles are non-existent, the yeast is unfortunately dead as a doorknob. IF the yeast is still quite bubbly, kind of frothy, and has a yeasty aroma, then it can still be used for recipes that call for yeast.
You can revive your failed dough and use it for the next day by making a sponge. All you have to do is buy some fresh yeast, mix up a sponge, add a small portion of dough, then let the sponge rise. What is this? Once it does, cut it into small pieces, then knead them together with your original dough.
Cover your dough with plastic wrap and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. After a bit of rest, the gluten in the dough will relax, making the process of stretching much easier.
Visually assess your dough
You'll be able to clearly see when it has doubled. For the second rise, many recipes baked in loaf pans will recommend baking once the dough has reached 1” over the lip of the pan.
How do you fix shrinking dough? You can fix a shrinking dough by letting it rest for at least 15 to 30 minutes. You can also let the dough rest at a warmer place in the house for better results. Check out the signs that your cookie dough might have gone bad here.
One of the most common mistakes is having a dough temperature that's too low for the starter to feed on all the flour in the dough, resulting in a crumb that's dense, with fewer openings. "Starter is happiest and most active at around 75 degrees. If it's a lot colder, the process will be much slower.
Too little folding can result in weak dough. But too much folding can produce excessive tension and compressive forces. An over-folded dough might have a tighter crumb as the layers of alveoli push against each other and coalesce. In the worst case, excessive folding might cause a dough to tear under too much tension.
You can tell you've kneaded dough too much if it becomes difficult to stretch. Sometimes this happens when you use a stand mixer or food processor. Overkneaded dough will be tough and make tough, chewy bread.
How long can dough sit out on the counter? The maximum amount of time dough can sit out on the counter is four hours for yeast-made bread, six for sourdough. Temperature, the characteristics of the sugars in the flour, the amount of yeast and the humidity of the room alter the length of the rise.
The overworked dough will often feel tight and tough. This means that liquid molecules have been damaged and won't stretch properly, causing the bread to break and tear more easily. Conversely, a dough that is underworked will be harder to form into a ball shape.
Sourdough bread's fermentation process breaks down those hard-to-digest fructans and may give you at least one great, gluten-containing bread option that you can enjoy without worrying about setting off bloating. Plus, sourdough bread actually helps your digestion, in addition to other health benefits.
It must be kept alive and well with additional feedings (flour and water) to keep it bubbly and active. Remember, it's a living culture which must be cared for with intent. Otherwise, your bread won't rise. Think of it like a pet that needs to be fed daily, or a house plant that needs water and a sunny window.