I'm often finding myself proofing buns, pretzels, or most recently, bagels overnight in the fridge. I keep them on sheet pans and try my best to cover them with greased plastic wrap. Then I play Tetris in the fridge and try to get two pans in there without squishing the perfectly shaped (ha! I wish) delicacies inside.
I found these half sheet covers from Nordic Ware and they look super cool. I guess I'd snap them on to my baking sheets and then I could stack them in the fridge. I only use these King Arthur Sheet Pans, so I have no idea if they'd fit. Does anyone use these or something similar? I can't seem to get a non-AI generated response out of the company to see if they'd actually fit my pans.
Or maybe there's a better solution out there for proofing in a crowded fridge?
.... but if I am reading the measurements correctly, it looks like it is only 1.5 inches tall. Not sure that would be high enough for most of the rolls I have made, even before proofing.
I wonder if anyone else makes something similar but taller?
Mary
I got a good deal on these pans w/lids and they're just like you said—not very tall. Actually, I'm not sure what they would be good for! The pans are great, though.
I have been looking for substitutes that would be good for proofing. Using a plastic bag has its limitations.
Thanks for the feedback! I wonder if they'd be fine for flatter things like pretzels and bagels. It sounds like they struggle with hamburger buns or rolls.
I've not used plastic bags, but they seem to have the same issue as saran wrap may have where you'd need to grease one side of it to prevent sticking. And they won't stack... The advantage with these plastic lids, I suppose, is they shouldn't touch the dough. But if they're too short, that's no good.
I use 2.5 gallon plastic ziplock bags to proof items on a quarter size sheet pan or a banneton. Assuming that you use Amazon, you can search there for extra large plastic ziplock bags. {If you don't use Amazon, you probably can find other sources.) I see some results that should easily fit a half size pan. A technique that I use for a ziplock bag is to breathe into it just before closing. Doing so helps to inflate the bag and add extra moisture.
Yes, that makes sense. Can you reuse them? They're $0.35 a bag on Amazon. I'd tear through these when I get on a pretzel making kick. How do you keep them from sticking to the dough? And do you ever find yourself needing to stack a few in the fridge? I'd love to hear others solutions for these.
Inflating the bags before closing them reduces the possibility of sticking (I've never had such a problem in dozens of uses). Yes, the bags are reusable. I've never tried to stack loaves in bags, but I don't think the (inflated) bag would support the weight.
Yes, that makes sense, I'll go with this if I can't find an appropriate plastic lid. I can maybe find some kind of plastic shelf for stacking them in the fridge.
I've looked at the "single-use" aluminum roasters that are available at the grocer or Walmart to see if any of those would work. I spent some time in the store placing the various roasters on NordicWare half- or quarter-sheet pans. I mostly make batards or boules and I wasn't sure any of them would work. Plus, you can't see at a glance how the dough is doing through the roaster.
Maybe we should flood NordicWare with requests for a taller lid for proofing.
Roaster pans are a fantastic idea. I've got a few laying around.
Maybe there are other manufacturers of plastic lids that make a high-domed version. I'll keep looking.