I have a warming mat that is used to keep serving dishes, pizza (in the box), etc warm while having dinner.
The lowest temperature setting is 60oC (140oF). IF I place a towel over the mat then a bowl with the dough, is this still too high a temp?
OR place the bowl inside another empty bowl, would that be enough to "lower" the temps?
Or is this just not practical?
I've seen others that use "lizard" mats but their temp is much lower than 60oC.
Heating pad from Walmart
It was $14.95 and has 3 settings. I use it inside of a soft sided cooler to make 2 qts of yogurt every week. Works perfectly year in and year out. I use it on high for yogurt which is about 110° near as I can tell and would be the upper limit for dough. I put it on low or medium for bulk rising. Works great.
I have also plugged it in and set baking pans on it on the counter- again perfect. I’d never spend huge $$$ on the specific dough rising equipment. JMHO
I placed a rack on top of my heating mat to achieve the proper temperature of the dough that was placed on the rack, when direct placement on the heating mat was overheating the dough.
Depending on the temperature difference that you want to achieve, the distance between the dough and the mat will vary. Please test it first with towel layers of different thicknesses. Place an old aluminum baking pan (not a shiny new one) on top and measure its surface temperature in different places with an infrared thermometer every 20min.
My heating mat was about 42C when I needed 37C + 1С in my dough, so a regular cooling rack used for baked goods did the job.
I'll try with a rack on the mat to elevate the bowl and cover the whole thing with a towel (during the day) so I can monitor ambient temperature UNDER THE TENT. Will update here later.
Tks.
edit---re-thinking this, a rack won't help. The warming pad only warms whatever it touches, not the air around it (ambient temps won't change). I'll try and see what happens but not hopeful.
A picnic cooler can make an effective proofer. Fill a quart jar with hot tap,water. Place the jar of hot water in the cooler. Place the container of dough in the cooler. Close the lid and let the dough ferment.
Paul
i think mariana’s advice is spot-on. if the mat is warm to the touch (and does not work like an induction cooktop), it will warm something held above it on a rack, but less so than something placed on top of it. it is not necessary to heat noticeably the air in between. think of the sun warming the earth.
I will try the rack first and see how that goes. Cooler/hot water will be the next way if the rack is .....wanting.
Tks folks :)