Instructions: (For 1 and 1 half pound loaf )

Using a 500 watt or better microwave oven with a mid to large capacity cavity Preferably, your machine should have 10 power settings, but five will do. You can raise dough to double in bulk in 15 minutes. If you just want to jump in without a test, here goes. Set your microwave at 10% power. Put an 8 ounce glass of water in the back. Cover the kneaded dough with plastic wrap and micro-rise in the standard way - Heat 3 minutes, rest 3 minutes, heat 3 minutes, rest 6 minutes (total of 15 minutes). The dough should be doubled in bulk. To find the absolute best setting for your microwave, read on.

1. Read your instruction book. Determine the wattage and capacity of your microwave. If you cant find the book, look for the serial number plate on the back or bottom of the machine. It usually tells the wattage of the machine. For 600 to 700 watt microwave ovens, the setting is generally somewhere between 10% and 35% power, or around 250 watts to Micro-Rise yeast dough. A 500 watt oven usually requires the lowest setting, 10% power. Small-cavity ovens, regardless of the wattage, may require the lowest setting, 10% power, and may require a shortened heating time, 2 minutes.

2. To test your microwave, make a recipe for plain bread in the food processor. Remove the blade. Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and put it into the microwave. Set an 8 ounce glass of water in the back of the microwave. Set at 10% power. Then follow the process set out above.

3. Remove the dough from the microwave and examine it. Ask yourself these questions: did the dough double in bulk? Now pull the dough out of the bowl - is it too hot to handle? Can you hold the dough comfortably in your hand: Take the doughs temperature with an instant read thermometer. It should read no more than 112. Ideally, the dough should be somewhere under 110.

4. If the dough is too cold, make adjustments in the setting, raising it to 20%. Punch the dough down, put it back in the food processor bowl, and repeat the test. If the dough is too hot, drop the time back to 2 ,minutes. If the dough doesnt rise at all and feel hot to the touch, you have probably killed the yeast. Mix up another pack of yeast with warm water and a little four, knead it into the dough, and repeat the test, shortening the cooking time, and/or lowering the setting.

5. In testing the microwave, begin with the lowest setting and work up.

On another topic, I have used the microwave to proof dough but only as a proofing cabinet. I put a glass of water in the microwave, bring it to a boil (about 3 to 4 minutes on high in my machine), put the dough in a covered bowl in the micro which is now warm and steamy, and leave it to proof - about 45 mins to 1 hour depending on the recipe.

I hope these help. I have used the micro-rise method as explained here with some cinnamon rolls which were made with rapid rise yeast in the food processor. They took 60 minutes from start to finish (25 to prepare and 35 to raise and bake). The results were fine although the taste was a little yeasty as they cooled. While hot to warm, they were great.

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