Bread Dough Rising Time Calculator
Bread dough takes 1 to 3 hours to rise at room temperature and 8 to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Enter your room temperature and the yeast you use for an estimate of the first rise.
Estimated rise time
Start checking a little before the time is up: the dough is ready when it has about doubled.
How long does bread dough take to rise?
A typical rise at room temperature takes 1 to 3 hours. How long exactly depends mostly on the temperature of the room and on the yeast. The table shows this calculator's estimate for the first rise.
| Room temperature | Instant yeast | Active dry yeast | Fresh yeast | Sourdough starter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 °F (18 °C) | 1 h 55 min | 2 h 25 min | 2 h 55 min | 6 h 5 min |
| 68 °F (20 °C) | 1 h 35 min | 2 h | 2 h 25 min | 5 h |
| 72 °F (22 °C) | 1 h 30 min | 1 h 50 min | 2 h 15 min | 4 h 35 min |
| 75 °F (24 °C) | 1 h 25 min | 1 h 45 min | 2 h 5 min | 4 h 20 min |
| 78 °F (26 °C) | 1 h 15 min | 1 h 35 min | 1 h 55 min | 4 h |
| 82 °F (28 °C) | 1 h 10 min | 1 h 25 min | 1 h 40 min | 3 h 35 min |
| 86 °F (30 °C) | 1 h | 1 h 10 min | 1 h 25 min | 3 h |
Room temperature or refrigerator
A cold rise is a way to fit baking into your day. Instead of the typical 1 to 3 hours at room temperature, the dough rises for 8 to 12 hours in the refrigerator, and up to about 16 hours depending on the recipe. Most bread recipes have two rises, the first rise (bulk fermentation) and a final rise after shaping. Chill one of them and do the other at room temperature.
The best temperature for rising
Yeast grows and flavor develops best at 75 to 78 °F (24 to 26 °C). In a cooler kitchen the dough still rises, only more slowly. In a much warmer spot it rises quickly, and the bread has less flavor.
How the estimate is calculated
The estimate is a rule of thumb. It starts from 2 hours at 68 °F (20 °C) for active dry yeast and falls to about 1 hour 30 minutes at 81 °F (27 °C). Below 68 °F it adds 12 minutes for every degree Celsius. Then it applies a factor for the yeast:
- Instant yeast: × 0.8
- Active dry yeast: × 1 (the reference)
- Fresh yeast: × 1.2
- Sourdough starter: × 2.5
Example: 72 °F is 22 °C. Active dry yeast: 2 hours − 2 × 0.07 hours = 1.86 hours, about 1 h 50 min. Instant yeast: 1.86 × 0.8, about 1 h 30 min.
Go by the dough, not by the clock. Most recipes ask for dough that has about doubled in size. Start checking a little before the estimated time is up.
Bread Dough Rising Time Calculator: Questions and Answers
- How long does it take for bread dough to rise?Typically 1 to 3 hours at room temperature and 8 to 12 hours in the refrigerator. At 72 °F this calculator estimates about 1 h 30 min for the first rise with instant yeast and 1 h 50 min with active dry yeast.
- How long should I let dough rise at 70 °F?About 1 h 30 min with instant yeast, 1 h 55 min with active dry yeast and 4 h 50 min with a sourdough starter. Start checking a little earlier and go by the dough: it is ready when it has about doubled.
- Can I let bread dough rise overnight?Yes, in the refrigerator. A rise that takes 1 to 3 hours at room temperature takes 8 to 12 hours in the fridge and can go up to about 16 hours. Chill either the first or the second rise, not both.
- How long is too long to let dough rise?Longer than the dough needs. Once it has about doubled, further rising overproofs it. In the refrigerator a rise can last up to about 16 hours, depending on the recipe. At room temperature the window is much shorter, so check early in a warm kitchen.
- How many times should bread dough rise?Most bread recipes have two rises: the first rise, also called bulk fermentation, and a second or final rise after shaping.
- How long does sourdough take to rise?Much longer than dough made with commercial yeast. This calculator estimates about 5 h at 68 °F and 4 h at 78 °F for the first rise. A lively starter is faster, a sluggish one slower.
- What is the best temperature for dough to rise?75 to 78 °F (24 to 26 °C). In that range the yeast grows well and the flavor develops. A cooler room slows the rise, and a much warmer one speeds it up at the cost of flavor.
Sources
- Annabelle Shippee: Can you refrigerate bread dough and bake it later? (King Arthur Baking, 28 September 2021) – typical rise times at room temperature and in the refrigerator, the two rises
- PJ Hamel: Where to put bread dough to rise (King Arthur Baking, 12 March 2019) – best temperature for rising
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