Cooking For Engineers

[colinglencannon@xplornet.]

An older form of English used the word proof meant the same as the word test does today. Therefore to proof the yeast is to test it. Back in the day when most bread was made from sourdough the sponge had to be tested to make sure it was still viable before committing the other ingredients to it.

This also helps the expression, the exception that "proves" the rule make a little more sense.

[Jim Cooley]

Very cool explanation/explication.

Thanks!