Brod & Taylor Proofer - Review

Having control over how quickly your dough proofs or bulk ferments is invaluable for the busy home baker. The Brod & Taylor proofer allows you to adjust the environmental conditions so you can, for example, fully bulk ferment your sourdough by the time you get home from work or need to take the kids to soccer practice. Here are the pros, cons, and everything in between for the Brod & Taylor bread proofing box.

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Though I do offer an Amazon affiliate link for purchasing the Brod and Taylor proofer, this post is NOT sponsored by or directly affiliated with Brod & Taylor. Links to Amazon earn a small commission for me at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my content!

What is a proofing box?

A bread proofing box is a stand-alone appliance that allows you to control the temperature and moisture for proofing your dough.

Both sourdough and some yeast breads prefer proofing environments warmer and more humid than most homes. For instance, sourdough ferments best around 80 degrees F and 60%-80% humidity.

But let’s be real, as much as I enjoy baking sourdough, I really don’t have the time and mental bandwidth to calculate the varying temperature and humidity of my kitchen.

That’s where a bread proofing box comes in. With the Brod & Taylor proofer you can set the temperature and add moisture so that you not only predict how long your dough will take to bulk ferment, but also speed up or slow down the process for your baking schedule.

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Do you need a proofing box?

In all honesty, I don’t know if anyone truly needs a proofing box. Even without proofing boxes, humans have been successfully making bread since, basically, the beginning of time.

But this is a modern and busy world. We have jobs, kids, commutes, and carpools that fill much (or most) of our time. As such, finding space for regularly making homemade bread can be challenging.

You could benefit from a proofing box if you want:

an easier ways to regularly make scratch-made bread for you and your family.
to control your bulk fermentation time to match your work/home/life schedule.
to hone the precise right conditions for bulk fermenting dough (house too cold, etc).
more certainty about bulk fermenting and proofing dough.

For me, the Brod & Taylor proofing box has been an invaluable tool for baking homemade bread for my family on a consistent basis because I am able to control the temperature, humidity–and as a result, the time.

That means, for example, you can more easily make same-day sourdough (video) before you have to drop your kids off at soccer practice or ballet.

Or you can speed up the process for enriched breads like chocolate sourdough so you can bake it after everyone goes to bed (then you can actually have the first slice for yourself!).

So though I wouldn’t venture to say that a bread proofing box will make or break your ability to bake homemade bread, I can confidently state–based upon my experience–that it will make baking easier.

And I’m here for easy.

Pros of the Brod & Taylor Proofer

Foldable Design: One of the many features I like about this bread proofing box is its foldable design. Because to be perfectly honest, the last thing I need is yet another kitchen appliance to store. It folds into a flat rectangle that even stores its standard accessories. This makes for both easy storage and quick assembly. It takes, literally, about 20-30 seconds to set up and take down this bread proofing box.

Works at low temperatures. In my opinion, the temperature range is the best feature. Proofing sourdough requires warm environmental conditions, usually around 70-80 degrees F. However, it can be difficult to maintain those conditions, especially during colder months. The Brod & Taylor bread proofing box can be set anywhere between 70-195 degrees F. That low-warm temperature is hard to achieve with other appliances.
Controls humidity. Another factor for successfully bulk fermenting sourdough is the humidity. Most recipes suggest covering your dough with a wet towel to prevent the dough from drying and crusting over. But the Brod & Taylor proofer comes with a small water tray that keeps the conditions humid enough that you don’t need to cover your dough. In fact, the instruction manual recommends leaving your dough uncovered. If you are using the proofing box for something else (kefir, yogurt, kombucha, etc) that needs dry conditions, you can simply remove the water tray.

Doubles as a slow cooker. Not only does this work for proofing and fermenting, but it also works as a slow cooker. For slow cooking, you simply stick a pot of pre-warmed food directly onto the heating element, set it, and forget it. The temperature goes up to 195 degrees F, which is the standard low setting on most slow cookers. Though I wouldn’t get rid of my regular slow cooker (I’ll share more about the in the cons), I actually like using the Brod & Taylor box more because it is easier to clean and store. Plus, if you are using smaller pots or containers, you can slow cook more than one dish at a time.

Cons of the Brod & Taylor Proofer

Though the pros outweigh the cons, there are a few things about this proofing box that I don’t necessarily love:

It’s expensive. At the time of writing this in 2024, the Brod & Taylor proofer is about $225 on Amazon. Depending on your budget and needs, spending a couple hundred bucks on a proofing box may not be an option or reasonable choice.
It can alter the flavor of sourdough. Warm temperatures can create a more sour flavor, while short times can decrease the flavor. Flavor is developed through a complex relationship and delicate balance between temperature and time. But depending on your preferences, the change in flavor may or may not be a bad thing.
It isn’t tall enough for some stock pots. This is mostly an issue for slow cooking. For slow cooking, you have to use a pot with a lid, then put the proofer top on. I only have one stock pot that fits inside with the lid on. Of course, this is easily remedied with a different pot. But after spending $225 on a proofing box, I don’t want to have to buy a new stock pot for it.
It doesn’t necessarily replace a slow cooker. Recently, I ran into the issue where I needed to simultaneously bulk ferment sourdough and make dinner in my slow cooker. I ferment my sourdough at 80 degrees F and slow cook at 195 degrees F. So I can’t use it for both at the same time. As such, I’ve found that I still need a separate slow cooker sometimes.

What are other proofer options and alternatives?

For the home baker, there are not a ton of options for proofing boxes. There are cheaper options like this bread proofing mat (affiliate link). There are also a few pizza dough proofers circulating the market that are similar, but not as versatile.

Of course, the other alternative is to stick with the old school, tried and true methods. Leaving your dough covered on the counter will certainly work. Bulk fermentation will take more time that way, but that isn’t necessarily a problem depending on your schedule.

Many bakers also stick their dough in the oven with the light on. However, you run the risk of forgetting its in there and turning on the oven to make dinner (I see this all of the time in Facebook groups I’m in).

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Should you buy a Brod & Taylor Proofer?

Whether or not you should buy a Brod & Taylor bread proofing box depends on your answers to a few questions:

Does it fit within your budget?
Will you use it?
Will it make baking homemade bread easier for you?

For me, the answer was yes to all of those questions. I use my proofing box throughout the week, and it has most definitely made proofing sourdough easier, especially during hectic weekdays. So to broadly answer the question “should you buy a proofing box,” my answer is YES!

However, if it’s not the right time for your budget or if you think it will collect dust on a shelf in the garage, I recommend holding off until you are ready.

I am confident though that if you get a Brod & Taylor proofer and use it, you will love it. It’s been a game changer in my kitchen, and it will be in yours, too.

Where to buy the Brod & Taylor Proofer

The Brod & Taylor bread proofing box is available via Brød & Taylor directly and Amazon. If you enjoyed this review and are ready to purchase your proofing box, I hope you will consider purchasing through my Amazon Brod & Taylor affiliate link.

Doing so will allow me to earn a small commission at no cost to you. And it’s an easy way to support my small business and to help me continue creating free content for you.

Thank you for supporting my content!