How to Bake Bread When It’s Hot and Humid Outside

Ah, summer. The season of sunshine, long light evenings and…dough that behaves like it’s sprinting to the finishing line. If you’ve ever tried to bake bread on a hot and humid day, only to end up with something looking like a deflated balloon, you’re not alone. Warmer weather really does make a difference (and not always a good one!) to your home bread baking. 

But don’t stop baking bread just because summer’s here. Baking bread in warm weather can be done – and done well – with just a few simple changes. Read on to find out how to bake bread when it’s hot and humid outside. 

You can watch the video below or read on for more information.

Why Heat and Humidity Makes a Difference to your Bread Baking

Warm weather speeds up fermentation – the process by which yeast break down the flour starches in your dough. Yeast also love warmth. As the dough temperature rises, yeast work more quickly and your dough rises sooner, which sounds great, right? But there’s a catch:

• Overproofing is a real risk: Your dough may rise too fast, burn through its food supply (starches and sugars) and collapse before you have a chance to bake it.
• Flavour suffers: A quick rising time in which the yeast need lots of food doesn’t give the dough time to develop the more complex flavours of great homemade bread.
• Weak structure: Your loaf’s gluten network is like the scaffold of your bread. A quick rise can weaken this network, leaving you with a sticky dough that results in a flat, badly risen bread.

Luckily, with the tips below, you can regain control of your dough, even in the middle of a heatwave.

1. Keep Your Dough Cool

Cooling it down is key for bread baking in hot weather. Simple ways you can do this include: 

• Use cold water, or even ice water, when mixing your dough. Cooler temperatures help slow the yeast down from the start. 
• Time it well: Mix and shape your dough in the cooler parts of the day. Early morning or late evening are perfect. 
• Find a cool spot to let your dough rise. Avoid the direct sunshine or hot work surfaces. A shady corner or a cool room are best in the hot weather. You can even put the dough in the fridge to proof slowly. 

A slower rise also helps build more flavour and keeps your dough from getting too soft and unmanageable. 

2. Reduce the Yeast

Less yeast = slower rise = more control. 

In the summer, it’s a great idea to cut the amount of yeast you use by a third or even half, especially if you’re using instant active dried yeast. So 2 – 3g instead of 5g, for instance. 

Less yeast means a slower breakdown of the starch and sugars in the flour, resulting in a slower rise and less risk of overproofed dough. 

Slower fermentation also results in a bread with better flavour, so really, it’s a win-win. 

3. Choose Low-Effort or No-Oven Recipes

When the weather outside feels like a sauna, the last thing you want is to heat up the oven for hours. Enter: minimal-effort bakes.

• Flatbreads on the hob: Two-ingredient flatbreads are a total summer saviour. Check out my recipe here. Quick easy and done in 10 minutes in a frying pan, no oven required.
• Overnight fridge doughs: Choose recipes where the dough rises in the fridge while you sleep. All the flavour, almost no effort, and you can bake them in the cool of the morning. Check out my recipes for no-knead focaccia or no-knead rolls.
• Flexible baking times: Some recipes allow you to mix in the evening, cold-proof overnight and bake first thing – before the kitchen become just too warm.

These types of recipes are perfect for summer days when you want fresh without spending hours in a hot kitchen.

Keep Baking Bread even in Warm Weather

Baking bread during warm or hot summer weather doesn’t have to be frustrating. With a little planning, cooler ingredients, slower fermentation and clever recipe choices, you can still enjoy delicious crusty homemade bread even when it’s melting outside. 

So grab that mixing bowl (maybe after you’ve had a long cool glass of water), try one of my no-knead or no-oven recipes mentioned above and keep your bread baking game strong all summer long. 

Happy baking!