Baker's Choice

"Using the Wolf Proof Mode provides an advantage to the home baker,” says Patrick McCormick, Sous Chef at The Barn at Harvest Haven Farm, Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove’s demo kitchen and gardens in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. “You can be confident that your breads and other yeasted bakes are in the ideal range of temperatures for bulk fermentation and final proofing.”

McCormick, who is in his fifth year with Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove, notes that Proof Mode’s stable environment is especially useful in regions that can experience extreme swings in weather. “The mode is extremely easy to use,” he says. “You just select Proof Mode out of the More category, set your desired temperature, press start, and you’re all set.”

A skilled baker, McCormick has found that Proof Mode supports every kind of bread making. “If doing a straight sourdough, for example, I like to use the Proof Mode at 85° for the bulk fermentation to keep the dough in a stable environment,” he says. “Typically, I retard those loaves in a Sub-Zero overnight to allow for more flavor to develop. In the morning, I will take the chill off the loaves using the Proof Mode once again while preheating a second oven for the bake.”

Bringing over fifteen years of restaurant experience to his role at Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove, McCormick is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the kitchen at The Barn at Harvest Haven Farm. His responsibilities range from menu and recipe development and ordering and organizing product for events to leading front-of-house and back-of-house teams during trainings and events. “I also support Corporate Chef Joel Chesebro with demonstrations,” he says, “and help him with our amazing Chef Network Community.”

McCormick has an extensive collection of tried-and-true bread recipes, including Potato Hamburger Buns, which he shares with the readers of The Living Kitchen. “This is one of my favorite recipes for potato buns, which are great for burgers,” he says. “It is quick, easy, and uses Wolf’s Proof Mode."