If you’ve ever stayed at a hotel, it’s likely you’ve seen the disposable shower caps provided as part of the amenities. Although most people say the caps will never see the inside of their bathroom, they’re often put to use in the kitchen. That’s because the humble plastic shower cap is perfect for proofing dough. Proofing is when you leave raw dough in a warm area for an extended period of time — usually a couple of hours — so the yeast can release gas and the dough can rise. Normally, bread recipes will indicate covering the bowl of dough with plastic wrap or a hand towel. While those methods are okay, there are pitfalls. Plastic wrap doesn’t adhere to metal, plastic, or wooden bowls very well and can slip off the bowl or into it. Hand towels are porous and can be drafty. Either scenario might make for longer wait times, or worse — a dried-out skin that develops on the dough, messing up the texture and impeding the rise. The way hotel shower caps are designed to hang onto your cranium happens to be perfect for looping over the edge of bowls. It’s essentially a plastic bag with an elastic ring around the opening. The elastic can stretch easily to hook around bowls 12 inches in diameter and smaller, and once it tightens into place, it doesn’t budge. The plastic cap locks in the warmth and creates a bit of extra head room in case your dough rises surprisingly high. This keeps your dough from getting stuck to the plastic, keeping your shower cap clean so you can reuse it indefinitely, or at least until it falls apart.
