Kneading!!!

Kneading Techniques

“Working the Dough”

Kneading is one of the most known terms in baking, but do you really understand its importance. 

Could you recognize if you have a well kneaded product?

Do you know the different kneading techniques?

Do you know how to test if you have kneaded well enough?

When I set out to create my lesson plans over baking, I could answer a few of those questions listed above.

I had an idea about what I was looking for, but I did not know half of the information that I kneaded to know.

So as I researched, I found information that I think all teachers, students, and aspiring bakers need to know. 

Why Knead

• Kneading develops a gluten network (net)
• As flour is hydrated gluten strengthens and adds to the structure of the dough.
• Gluten helps to bind the dough together and helps it keep from falling apart during baking
• Gluten creates a net in the bread product that captures carbon dioxide produced by yeast.
• Kneading will take between 8-10 minutes by hand.

How to tell if you have under-kneaded:

Dough is under-kneaded if:

• it's loose
• tears easily
• looks shaggy

Just keep kneading.

How to tell if you have needed just enough:

• Smooth Dough
• Hold its Shape
• Bounces back when Poked (The Poke Test)
• Windowpane Test

How to tell if you have over-kneaded:

FYI: If you are kneading by hand, it's nearly impossible to over-knead .

Over-kneading using a stand mixer is much easier.

If you're kneading in a mixer, stop and check the dough every two minutes.

Over-kneaded dough will feel very dense and tough.

The dough will be difficult to fold in on itself.

Over kneaded dough will also tear easily because the gluten strands are very tight.

How to Knead:

1. Once the ingredients are thoroughly mixed (all dry ingredients are moistened). Lightly flour the table with flour you held back from your recipe. Turn the dough out onto the table.
2. Pick up the dough farthest from you with your dominate hand.
3. Fold toward you and press dough with the heel of your hand.
4. Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat steps 2 and 3.

Stretch and Fold Technique

1. Once the ingredients are thoroughly  mixed (all dry ingredients are moistened) , turn the dough out onto the table.  Oil the table. (Don’t flour the table).
2. Pick up the dough farthest from you with your dominant hand.
3. Stretch the dough.
4. After stretching the dough fold the dough into a trifold.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4. Rotate 90 degrees every time. 

Poke Test:

The finger poke test is an easy way for you to tell if you have kneaded your dough enough. So take your finger and firmly poke the dough. If the dough bounces back and the indention refills you have kneaded the dough enough.

Windowpane Technique:

The windowpane test is a simple way that bread bakers can tell if the have sufficiently kneaded their dough.  

So how do you do it:

Step 1: Cut off a small amount of dough, about the size of a walnut. Hold it between your thumb and first two fingers on both hands.

Step 2:Spread your fingers apart. Stretching the dough into a windowpane shape.

If you have kneaded the dough sufficiently the windowpane should hold its shape without breaking