How slow is slow rising? Timing a Kiibru squishy
What “slow rising” means on a Kiibru squishy, how to time it at home, and why the Petals bear bread takes thirty seconds while a toast slice takes ten.
Every squishy on our rack is made of PU foam, the same family of foam as a memory pillow. Squeeze it and the air is pushed out of thousands of tiny cells; let go and the air creeps back in. How quickly that happens is the “rise,” and it is the thing collectors care about most.
How to time a rise at home
Hold the squishy on a flat table, press it down with your whole palm until it will not go any further, then lift your hand and start counting. Stop when the shape looks the way it did before you pressed. Do it three times and take the middle number, because the first squeeze of the day is always a little slower.
Where our bakes land
- Petals bear bread is the slowest thing we make: thirty seconds and more, and a fingertip print stays visible for a long while.
- The colossal loaves and shortcake wedges come back in ten seconds or more from fully flat.
- Toast slices are thin, so a full press flattens them at once and the rise is quick to watch, about ten seconds.
- The caterpillar loaf and milk rolls are dense and very slow, which is why foam fans single them out.
What changes the speed
Temperature. Foam stiffens in the cold. A loaf that sat by a winter window will rise slower than the same loaf after an hour in a warm room. Heat does the opposite, so avoid leaving squishies in a hot car, where the paint can also go tacky.
Breaking in. A brand-new squishy can feel a touch firm. After a few days of gentle squeezing it softens and settles into its real rise.
How you squeeze. Pressing the surface like dough gives a slow, even return; wringing or twisting stresses the foam and can tear it. Bread shapes are made for kneading, not stretching.
If you are choosing a first Kiibru for the slowest possible rise, go for the Petals bun. If you want the classic big squeeze, take a colossal loaf.
