Kay, that's very interesting! It does sound like your bread is over-proofing. Using plastic wrap and proofing in the microwave are both totally valid ways to proof your dough, so don't worry about that! If your kitchen isn't cold, you can also use that same plastic wrap but proof it out on the countertop if you like. Shortening your rise times a bit would be a good experiment. Does it still deflate after you remove the plastic wrap if you stop the rise when the dough is still a bit shorter? If your pans are a bit larger than the ones called for in a recipe (9x5" instead of 8 1/2 x 4 1/2", for example), what looks like a perfect rise might actually be considerably over-proofed, so this is also something to check on. If you do find that your dough deflates, don't panic, though! We've got a technique to help you rescue your dough: Over-proofed dough: how to save an over-risen loaf. Hopefully, between this contingency plan and playing with shorter rise times, you should be able to bake the loaf you've been looking for. Kat@KAF

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