Get Bigger Rise! 10 Baking Tricks That Work

Gravity is the enemy. When you pull a tray of flat dinner rolls or squat popovers from the oven, it feels personal. You followed the recipe. You measured. Yet, they refused to climb. Vertical lift isn’t luck; it is physics and chemistry working in tandem. To get that bakery-style height, you have to manipulate heat, hydration, and protein structure.

Here are ten technical adjustments to ensure your next batch reaches its full potential.

1. Scald the Milk for Rolls

Many bakers skip this step because modern milk is pasteurized. Do not skip it. Dairy milk contains a whey protein called lactoglobulin. This protein weakens gluten structure and can lead to a denser, shorter crumb. Heat your milk to 180°F (82°C) until a skin forms, then cool it back down to 110°F (43°C) before adding your yeast. This process denatures the whey proteins, neutralizing them so they cannot interfere with your gluten network. The result is a lighter, taller roll.

2. Preheat the Pan for Popovers

Popovers rely entirely on steam for lift. There is no chemical leavening agent like baking powder to save you. You need an immediate, violent reaction when the batter hits the metal. Place your popover pan or muffin tin in the oven while it preheats. It should be screaming hot—at least 450°F (230°C). When you pour the batter, it should sizzle. This jump-starts steam production instantly, forcing the batter upward before the crust has a chance to set.

3. Build Surface Tension

Shaping is not just about making things round. It is about creating a taut outer skin. When shaping dinner rolls, do not just roll them between your palms. Cup your hand over the dough on an un-floured surface. Move your hand in a circular motion, keeping the heel of your hand in contact with the counter. You want the dough to stick slightly to the surface at the bottom, creating drag. This pulls the top skin tight. That tension forces the expansion upward rather than outward during the oven spring.

4. Rest the Popover Batter

Patience pays off. After mixing your popover batter, let it sit on the counter for an hour. This rest period serves two functions. First, it allows the flour particles to fully hydrate, preventing a gritty texture. Second, and more importantly for height, it relaxes the gluten you developed during whisking. If the gluten is too tight, it fights the expansion. Relaxed gluten stretches easily, allowing the steam to inflate the batter like a balloon.

5. Use Vital Wheat Gluten

If you prefer whole grain flours or all-purpose flour that feels a bit weak, add insurance. Vital wheat gluten is a powdered protein you can buy in the baking aisle. It is essentially pure structure. Add one teaspoon per cup of flour to your dry ingredients. This boosts the overall protein content, creating a stronger elastic network that can trap more gas bubbles. Stronger walls mean the structure can hold a higher rise without collapsing under its own weight.

6. Crowd the Pan for Rolls

Spacing matters. If you place dinner rolls two inches apart on a baking sheet, they will expand outward into round spheres with crusty edges. For maximum vertical lift, create a support system. Arrange the dough balls in a high-sided baking pan so they are just barely touching or half an inch apart. As they proof and bake, they will bump into each other. With nowhere to go laterally, they are forced upward. This creates those soft, high-rising pull-apart rolls.

7. The Windowpane Test

Do not guess if your kneading is done. Visual cues like "smooth and elastic" are subjective. Use the windowpane test. Tear off a small chunk of dough and gently stretch it between your fingers. It should stretch thin enough to let light through without tearing. If it breaks immediately, the gluten is underdeveloped. Weak gluten cannot hold the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast. The gas will escape, and the roll will slump. Keep kneading until it passes the test.

8. Steam the Oven

Crust is the ceiling on your rise. If the crust forms too early, the bread stops growing. You want to delay crust formation during the first ten minutes of baking. Commercial ovens inject steam to keep the exterior pliable. You can mimic this. Place a cast-iron skillet on the bottom rack while the oven preheats. Right after you load your rolls, toss a half-cup of ice cubes or boiling water into the hot skillet and shut the door immediately. The burst of steam keeps the dough soft, allowing for maximum oven spring.

9. Start High, Finish Low

For popovers, temperature regulation is critical. Start the bake at a high temperature, around 450°F (230°C), for the first 15 to 20 minutes. This creates the rapid expansion. Once the structure is set and the popover is tall, drop the temperature to 350°F (175°C) to finish cooking the interior without burning the outside. Do not open the oven door to check. The rush of cool air can cause the steam to condense and the structure to collapse.

10. Room Temperature Ingredients

Cold ingredients inhibit rise. Yeast is sluggish in a cold environment, and cold eggs effectively shock a batter, preventing proper emulsification. For popovers, warm milk (125°F) and room temperature eggs create a batter that is already closer to the evaporation point. For yeast rolls, room temperature ingredients ensure fermentation starts immediately and proceeds at a predictable rate. Take your butter, eggs, and milk out of the refrigerator an hour before you bake.