I have an 8-space wine rack (four rows of 2 spaces, that I set up longwise that holds my rolling pin collection. It happens to be under a heater vent. I put my dough container on top of the rack and let the dough rise there. I also use a quilted cover around the sides that was designed for taking casseroles to potlucks that fits my 2-quart bread bucket, or for larger baking projects, the bottom half of my 4-quart bucket. When the shaped dough is ready to rise, I can balance a 12-inch square plastic "cake" box on top that holds two loaves, or an Emile Henry long baker. For bigger projects, I wait until my husband starts a fire in the wood stove in the front room, and I put the tray with three loaves, or a large pan of rolls nearby. I enclose it in two large deli-covers, one on the bottom, and one on the top, with the entire contraption put onto a 1 2/3 sheet pan, that lets me carry it out to the front room and back to the kitchen when the bread is ready to go into the oven.

A suggestion: do not put the pan to rise on a cold counter. I use a drying mat (designed for drying excess glasses) under my pans.

Check the location of your heater vents and get creative. Another option, if you happen to have a refrigerator where the top is not covered by a cabinet, that is usually a warm place. The top of a dryer that is drying clothes would also work; just be sure on the second rise to enclose the dough in a plastic box of some kind.

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