How to Do the "Poke Test" (and 3 ways it can trick you)

In this video I'll show you how to do the poke test for bread dough (sourdough or yeasted bread). I'll also explain three reasons why I think the poke test can be a little deceiving for new home bakers.
Here's my recipe video for medium-hydration sourdough bread that I used for the bread in this video:
Check out the tools I use to bake bread at home:
grantbakes.com/recommended-ba...
Here's the Cook's Illustrated article I referenced in this video. I took my definition of "poke test" from this article...
www.cooksillustrated.com/how_...
Video Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:11 What is the "poke test" for bread dough?
00:24 The poke test on recently shaped dough
00:53 Underproofed Dough - Poke Test
01:52 The poke test when dough is ready to bake
02:32 The poke test on "proofy" dough
03:06 Almost Overproofed Dough - Poke Test
04:00 Overproofed Dough - Poke Test

[@GrantBakes]

Here’s the dough recipe I used for this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bou3gKp-l8mel6c

[@username0346]

user name03 1 second ago FWIW, your version of the poke test makes the results more ambiguous. A straight-in poke with the fingertip (instead of using the pad, like you are doing) produces clearer results wrt return spring. Could be interesting to re-do this test from that perspective.

[@user-bn6zq3xj7r]

Think this is THE most helpful video demo about the poke test, at explaining why it can be tricky, esp for beginners, and how over proofed dough isn’t usually a disaster (unless overproofed to the extreme) & worth baking & eating. Thanks a lot Grant!

[@JohnDoe-qp9qb]

Exactly, I always thought if I overproofed my dough it’s no longer good. After seeing this, I came to the conclusion that most of the time you will always bake a decent bread, wether a bit under or over proofed; however the middle will give you a better loaf.

[@fivestars4068]

Poor bread 🍞, suffered so many pokes and still came out GREAT 😅😅😅 Great presentation 👍👌

[@EgbertWilliams]

After watching this and mostly getting more confused, my conclusion is to don't do this as a test, but just to get a feel for the dough and its airiness. Maybe a few years down the road, the subtleties of it will make sense.

[@brandygainor118]

Thank you for this video! I am so new…this is NOT intuitive until you learn! This visual and your commentary is so helpful! You also saved/revived my starter last week! Thanks!

[@michaelnorman4476]

Thank you for illustrating the nuances of this.

[@GrantBakes]

I hope I could help even a little bit! Thanks, Michael.

[@ilyar7161]

Grant, thank you so much. Your tutoriala are very helpful. I get a decent to beautiful ear since I started watching them

[@terrierickson439]

When I do the poke test I stick my finger straight down into the dough. I can get a better feel for resistance from it. Thanks for the video. Been baking sourdough for years and still want to learn more.

[@Browncoat03-K64]

I'm very new to baking sourdough, and only did it for the second time today, with better success than the first time, thankfully. The poke test was confusing to me in the directions and I didn't exactly know what I was looking for. Thank you very much for this video explaining what it is. Now I know it's more reliable during proofing to gauge the size of loaves than how the dough reacts to being poked.

[@ZenaHerbert]

I can't get in with the poke test at all. The dough has bounced back, stayed put, taken a print and equally I've had overproofed, underproofed, just right and ridiculous. I'm pleased to see it isn't just my idiotness, thank you

[@GrantBakes]

It's not just you! I think the poke is helpful once you truly know what to look for, but for the first couple times I did it it was just confusing for me and not very helpful.

[@sareetawilliams6419]

You are my go to teacher for making sourdough products.. thank you for sharing your passion with passion to us.

[@GrantBakes]

Thanks! You're the best.

[@wikary4284]

Thanks for the video. I've been baking sourdough for 3.5 years now, and some 1.5y ago I realized that at least in my case this poke test is not a test at all. But I sure got the feel for the dough through all that poking.

[@GrantBakes]

Feel for the dough is all that counts!

[@ihus9950]

Thanks Grant👍🏻

[@rapick9482]

Thank you so very much for your respond!

[@n3ocl]

I struggle with properly proofing my dough. Always a guessing game for me. Thanks for the Vid. !!

[@GrantBakes]

It’s a struggle. That is why I usually prefer to cold proof sourdough in the fridge. Much less room for error in my experience.

[@n3ocl]

@@GrantBakes I recently bought Organic Type 00 Reinforced flour from Central Milling. You can proof this flour for a longer time frame. I’ve made pizza with this flour and sourdough. Excellent excellent results. Shipping is very expensive for this flour.

[@Alex-ck4in]

THANK YOU FOR THIS As someone still learning, the poke test always made me suspicious, my experience never aligned with what I was being told

[@GrantBakes]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Gutslinger]

Still hard for me to differentiate. I have no experience with sourdough. But I do have a little experience with regular dough. I think it pretty much always collapses after an hour rise, if I poke it. So I've pretty much stopped poking it, except for in the beginning of forming my ball, just to see if it's tight and springy. I might poke at it after second proofing after forming my dinner rolls, to see if they're wobbly and filled with air. But I almost never guage the indentation, since I can't decipher it. I'm still a rookie at this stuff. 🤷‍♂️ But my rolls did turn out great, I think.

[@gancarzpl]

Good one.

[@sasharamirez2335]

Poke test didn't show over proofed, the final product didn't show over proofed and didn't collapse (looks great in fact). I guess the poke test worked. I'd say the rise was giving a much clearer picture. Awesome video. I'll have to try this.

[@AnaPie896]

Yes I’m just starting with sourdough and every loaf I’ve baked so far has been overproofed, his definitely wasn’t 😅 I felt like my most recent was ready at midnight but waited until morning to bake because I hadn’t seen a recipe without an overnight cold proof, and by then by dough had collapsed. Still tasty though! I’ve got another attempt proofing now so fingers crossed

[@frankt7521]

This just continued my confusion.

[@GrantBakes]

Sorry about that. Basically, the poke test is not a very clear test. I judge the proof based on how much the dough has grown in size, or by how long I've left it in the fridge to proof (usually about 8-12 hours).

[@meisievannancy]

I think time and ambient temperature and water temperature are better predictors. Also the amount of yeast and protein content of the flour. A graph would probably help more. The complexity is extreme but just baking dough after a certain time kind of gets a result that works anyway.

[@counselorchick15]

I have found the better test is before bulk proofing.if I take the time to stretch and fold to the proper feeling, the bread is ready to proof in fridge for up to 48 hours before bake.

[@teresas4728]

You do a very light poke! My understanding is about 1 inch in. I agree thought, it is often a guess....

[@AurelioDallaLibera]

Never trusted the poke test, almost useless. One of the best video. Funny to see that you can bake a good bread with a very-hyper-overproofed bread 😀

[@diodoubled]

Well, it doesn't look so overproofed to me. The only clue was that the top of the baked bread was flat, however the sides were steep so the dough was at the border of overproofing in my opinion.

[@cliffcox7643]

Once you do get a indent on the poke test, how much longer do you have?

[@rollingstone3017]

I don’t know. The fact that it still baked just fine even after pushing it makes me doubt the objectivity of the whole poke thing.

[@abigailelizabeth4655]

It’s to see if it’s done proofing, the poke doesn’t actually effect the dough lmao. Also with sourdough you are proofing the dough upside down so the mark is on the bottom not top so you won’t see it.

[@codyleehanson]

@@abigailelizabeth4655They’re saying “pushing it” as in seeing how far they can push the proofing time (9+ hours instead of 1.5-2). Not literally pushing it with their finger. For the proofing time being pushed to 9+ hours, the bread still came out just fine.

[@rapick9482]

Thank you so very much for your respond! Sorry, one more question. Can cold proofing be used for any sourdough recipe? Thank you again!

[@GrantBakes]

Yes, it can work for almost any recipe for the final proof.

[@rapick9482]

Thank you so much for the explanation. I have another question. My sourdough somewhat deflates when scored. Why this happen? Thank you so much

[@GrantBakes]

It might be a little bit overproofed during the final rise. If I let it proof in the fridge overnight, I usually don't have that problem. Hope that helps!

[@kristie8357]

Did u proof in the oven with the light on? Inside my oven is 95 to 100 F

[@jiberri]

Grant, please give me your thoughts on this...I believe my dough is quite similar to this "overproofed" dough in the video. My question is what impact would that degree of proofing have on ear development? I am getting sufficient oven spring but when my loaf rises to top or slightly over banneton edge, I am not getting the ear that I get when the dough isn't as high.

[@katherinesmith9985]

If your dough is over proofed it will not get as large of an ear as a loaf that was proofed just right. Hope this helps.

[@adriaellen]

What about before placing into the refrigerator?

[@dennishurlbert6143]

Just what I was looking for Grant.Thank you. I don’t think you will respond to this question,but what altitude is your area I am at sea level. I’ve learned good info from you regardless thank s.

[@GrantBakes]

I’m 176 meters (578 feet) above sea level 🌊😊

[@dennishurlbert6143]

@@GrantBakes Bread can and will suprise you, good or bad. I do live in a humid area. Coastal with rock and roll weather. I overproofed today, but all was not lost. Iam learning from good people like you. Just started baking on the big green egg grill. Super results, better than my oven. Its all good Grant. Keep up the good work. Peace🏖

[@austingwatson]

i hate the poke test but it’s all i’ve got. as an engineer, i want somethinng quantitative, measurable, repeatable, and reliable. the poke test isn’t that but i continue to use it.

[@GrantBakes]

Understandable! I'm sure someone could make a machine to do the poke test that would be more accurate than responsive human fingers. But even though it is inaccurate, getting a "feel for the dough" and understanding what well-proofed dough feels like to my fingers is the best I've got. It definitely has developed for me over time. At first I was doing the poke test and didn't really know what I was supposed to be feeling for!

[@lenlenlen228]

Can i apply this test to other bread? Like ciabatta, english muffin, focaccia? I’m struggling with gummy texture 😂

[@geoffrichardson2728]

Poke test is best used in conjunction with other tests. This dough never showed any other signs of over proofing. It never ever looked like it would collapse. It continually domed upward. I was hoping to see you remove it from the banneton to see if it held its shape for scoring.

[@GrantBakes]

You're probably right about needing multiple tests/factors to consider.

[@margarethany]

My sourdough always ended up so gummy, i live in hot climate my dough was flatten in the loaf tin with so many bubbles i thought i was overproofed it, but even your overproofed looks perfect, was my bread underproofed then? I’m still confused with regular sourdough bread, so far i can only make it with enriched sourdough, it’s quite frustrating i really wanna make the regular one 😅

[@aliveinhim9793]

If I had to guess it might be the glutrn content of your flour. Get a high gluten flour around 13% protein content and this might help. Also, living in a hot climate will cause the dough to proof more quickly so you may not need to proof quite as long.

[@kayleep3329]

I was surprised when you said you usually proof your dough for 1.5 hrs. I’ve been letting my dough proof for @ 4-5 hrs!! On very warm days less. I’m going to go back to your original recipe cause I thought I was following your instructions. Anyway, maybe I’ve been over proofing, but still having success. Also, I use 125gr WW flour in my 500 gram loaves…do you think WW flour creates another variable? Thank you, ☺️

[@mattymattffs]

It does create another variable! I like to use 10-20% other flour, like whole wheat or rye, for the added flavour. With the rye or ww the bread bulks and proves faster! It does depend on your starter too. I use a dry starter, so it behaves entirely different

[@GrantBakes]

Hi Kaylee, yeah, I find that 1.5 hours usually works for me in the summer time, but I really liked the flavor of the super-proofed bread I made for this video, so I might push the proof longer on a more regular basis. It's usually easier for me to get an ear on my loaf when I keep the proofing time between 1.5 and 2 hours, generally speaking. In reality there's a BIG window of time in which you can bake your dough and it will still turn out great, so I don't think there's anything wrong with the way you're doing it if you like the bread! Whole wheat definitely does create another variable. They might make the dough proof faster due to there being more yeast, bacteria, or enzymatic activity happening in whole grain flours, but I'm not really an expert on that so I can't say. I do love the flavor of adding whole grain flours though. I'm actually going to publish an ebook soon with three of my favorite whole grain variations on my standard sourdough bread :) Gotta give whole grains some more love!

[@chrisnapretorius3486]

Hi. Just a question for clarity. Most videos i see the proofing are in a mixing bowl , then shape, then fridge. Why are you proofing in banneton? Thanks for video. Still struggling with knowing when my proofing is done.

[@raveG244]

I love how in less than five minutes you demystified the whole lore of the poke test. It is not reliable because elasticity depends on so many variables. Good luck with that once you add rye to the mix. And nobody ever discusses what under- or over proofing relate to. Over or under in relation to what? In the end, as you say, it is a matter of experience, so one could suggest: less poking more baking.

[@GrantBakes]

Thanks, Ralph! Love that - less poking, more baking. Haha

[@amceathron20]

Ugghhh why does my overproof always end up a goopy mess that wont hold shape 😂😭

[@user-vc1vt5ot1e]

I'm a noobee to bread baking. Most recently I've been using a starter that requires potato flakes and sugar in one cup of warm water every couple weeks. It has a sweet, fermented taste when it's ready to use, (at room temp). The recipe for this bread suggests a 'double-knead', i.e. allow it to rise for 6-8 hours, knead it and allow it to rise another 8-12 hours. I've had varying degrees of success, (all very edible), just monitoring how much it rises prior to baking. The poke test always seemed so subjective to me: too many variables to trust just one, definitive method. Many influences: the type of bread; its ingredients, ambient temperature, recipe. . . not an exact science, eh? That said, I haven't screwed anything up beyond repair. . .yet. After watching this video, it'll take a few loaves to figure out the sweet spot for a reliable poke test. Thanks lots.

[@lolajacomino6574]

How about when you are at 3 1/2 hrs of proofing and when you try to poke the dough it’s sticky? 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@clearlyrebecca]

Surely this just means that there's a window of time where the dough is ready to bake? Based on your experience, you would have baked it after 2 hours of proofing, but it still turned out great after another 11 hours. Maybe your skill in forming the gluten structure and shaping helped it stay "bake ready" for longer?

[@GrantBakes]

There's definitely a window of opportunity! I think you're right about that.

[@user-rr9fz3vw8k]

oh dear just learnt the poke test and now its been shot down .so left not knowing how to test

[@gancarzpl]

What is causing collapse of bread during backing? Haw does it wok?

[@prankster1590]

At a certain point the gluten network gets weaker because its food for yeast and lactobacilus which also produces acid that weakens the network. It can no longer hold the weigh of dough. Its going to get like your sourdough starter @ 24 hours of fermentation. A slimy mess.

[@gancarzpl]

@@prankster1590 Thank you for the explanation. This explains why gluten-free bread doesn't have any air pockets.

[@vladant5232]

like

[@GrantBakes]

I like it too.

[@isaacortega00]

My bread looks like a pancake when it overproofs.

[@miker7920]

Soooo.... The poke method did turn out to work, as it still came out great, right😂? If your starter was very sour, the bacteria would have already ruined the gluten network. So your starter probably has a high yeast and low bacteria activity, allowing for this long rise without it collapsing.

[@mattymattffs]

I don't find the poke that helpful. I prefer to just jiggle the banneton and based on that decide if the proof is done. Works great

[@revimfadli4666]

Jiggling does seem to be closer to how viscoelasticity tests are done scientifically

[@GrantBakes]

@@revimfadli4666 Interesting!

[@GrantBakes]

That's a really cool way to do it!

[@goattactics]

Nobody talks about this. The poke test is only 1 way to determine the proof and is unreliable. I prefer to feel the dough with my hand to get a sense of the tension left in the dough. Takes repetition to know what youre feeling for

[@diodoubled]

"Have a feeling, get experience" its not very helpful if you want to know if the dough is proofed or not. My way apart from checking the volume of the dough is that when I pre-shape and shape I check how loose is the dough. The more loose it is, the less gluten it has, the more proofed it is. Ones you know how loose the dough should feel, you put it in the banneton and in the fridge.

[@GrantBakes]

I agree, but what you’re saying is basically the same as “have a feeling, get experience.” Don’t you think? It requires baking a few times to get a feel for how the dough “should” feel when it’s ready.

[@moonasha]

in my opinion the poke test just sucks, it's awful, we should be looking for other signs. There's so many different variables too. Types of flour. How much you kneaded it. Moisture content. Etc! I also like that you showed a very proofed bread comes out just fine too, in my mind it's definitely better to overproof than underproof

[@vincents3334]

So the poke test is a waste of time 🥴

[@lindawilson3071]

I think it’s terribly confusing and don’t use it and I’ve been baking for years

[@duffmancb11]

I swear to god they all look the same he just poked harder in some spots

[@GrantBakes]

Probably hard to tell, but no, I did not do that 😊

[@duffmancb11]

@GrantBakes coming from a person that has no idea when a proof is done but somehow manages to get okay bread. I don't know if I'll ever get the poke test. 👍

[@GrantBakes]

@@duffmancb11 No worries! The result is all that matters 😊

[@PaulSmith-mh2yq]

....then another video shouts everything positive about the poke test. Pity the hobby baker 🙄

[@GrantBakes]

It’s all about gaining experience from making loaf after loaf. 👍🏻

[@underbaked8689]

I think this goes to prove that the poke test is really crap!

[@1DebOsborn]

That’s a poke test? Usually people poke their finger straight in to the first knuckle. You only touched it.

[@yashwantgarud8967]

completely unhelpful bro

[@GrantBakes]

If you have anything more helpful to add regarding the poke test, please feel free to add it in the comments. Thanks for your time.

[@yashwantgarud8967]

@@GrantBakes i don’t have anything that’s why i watched your video

[@GrantBakes]

@@yashwantgarud8967 Thanks for watching!

[@maxillin]

Overcomplicated, all of it

[@ninofiol]

The most overrated "rule" of bread baking!