Instructions: To make the "Proofing Box":
Quoting "Worldwide Sourdoughs From Your Bread Machine" by Donna Rathmell German and Ed Wood, "To really make a sourdough sing, it needs a warm environment after it comes out of the refrigerator. The ideal is 85 to 95 degrees . . . The best solution is to fashion a proofing box. Seek out an ordinary styrofoam cooler, the bigger the better. Throw away the top, turn it upside down and cut a hole in the middle of the bottom just big enough to admit a standard light socket. A
25-watt bulb should maintain the correct temperature. If you want to get fancy, put a light dimmer switch on the cord and you can regulate the temperature precisely."

Now, I use my proofing box to rise the dough once I have formed it into a loaf and put it in a pan. Check the loaf every half hour or so, as it may over-rise and drip down the side of the pan. Yes, Ive had LOTS of experience with this. You want it to be a nice round dome when you bake it

(in the oven). I bought a light socket already wired to a cord and plug at a hardware store. It even has a dimmer switch already installed. This works well for me. Good luck, and let me know how it works for you!

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