
Proof
A term used in bread making that means to dissolve yeast in a warm liquid. You then set it aside for five to ten minutes while the yeast does its magic and becomes bubbly.
You do this to prove that the yeast you're using is actually alive, active and able to work in a bread or baked good recipe (hence the name "proofing").
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That's just part of the definition...it also means the initial rise after the flour has been incorporated, and the final rise before the loaves go into the oven.