Kneading dough by hand also makes it virtually impossible to over-knead, which will prevent your bread from becoming too dense. The key to unlocking all these benefits lies in mastering two basic kneading techniques: the French Fold and the Stretch and Fold.
Overkneaded dough will be tough and make tough, chewy bread. If you've kneaded by hand, you don't need to be too worried about overworked dough—you'll start to notice it getting difficult to manage. It takes a lot of elbow grease to knead bread dough; you'll likely tire yourself out before you can over-knead.
While some enjoy the rhythmic motion of kneading by hand, there are advantages to using a stand mixer. Using a stand mixer takes less time because you can mix and knead the dough in the same bowl. Machine kneading is also easier on the wrists and hands.
Loaves made with over-kneaded dough often end up with a rock-hard crust and a dense, dry interior. Slices will be very crumbly, especially toward the middle.
The overworked dough will often feel tight and tough. This means that liquid molecules have been damaged and won't stretch properly, causing the bread to break and tear more easily. Conversely, a dough that is underworked will be harder to form into a ball shape.
An excess of flour can create a stiff, dry dough. A perfectly kneaded dough springs back when poked with your finger and will feel soft and silky in texture.
If it sags down between your fingers, the gluten is still loosey-goosey and needs some more kneading. 3. The Poke Test – Give that ball of dough a firm poke with your finger. If the indentation fills back quickly, you're good to go.
Kneading aligns these strings, creating a dough you might be able to stretch so thin you can almost see through it. The more gluten, the more elastic, stretchy and strong the dough will be.
Resting the dough gives the gluten structure a chance to loosen and unwind, and it will give you a better final product.
Next, shape the dough into a ball and let it rest, covered in plastic wrap or an inverted bowl, for about 10-15 minutes before proceeding. This will relax the gluten and the dough's elasticity, making it easier to roll out the dough and shape the knots.
Dough CPR. Step 1: Perform the fingertip test to make sure your dough is overproofed. The test involves gently pressing your finger into the surface of the dough for 2 seconds and then seeing how quickly it springs back. The dent you make will be permanent if the dough is overproofed.
In the oven, the over kneaded dough will not rise as much as it is supposed to, because the hardened gluten will prevent the yeast from inflating the dough. In an over kneaded dough, the gluten structure creates a barrier which traps the gases released by the yeast.
These gases get trapped inside the dough buy the mesh the gluten makes. This is what causes your bread to be airy and fluffy. This mesh is formed by kneading the dough. If you do not knead a dough enough you do not give your bread a chance as the gluten did not have enough time to build that mesh.
Knead it two to three times before forming your desired shape or placing it into a bread pan.
2 – Kneading Your Dough for Long Enough
Keading your bread for long enough is also key to producing soft and well-risen bread every time.
There's something magical about the bread you get at your local bakeries - they're always sooo soft and fluffy. Many of these breads, especially packaged ones, are made with a ton of chemical additives such as calcium propionate, amylase, and chlorine dioxide which help keep them soft, light, and fluffy for days.
Carbon dioxide is responsible for all the bubbles that make holes in bread, making it lighter and fluffier. Because gas is created as a result of yeast growth, the more the yeast grows, the more gas in the dough and the more light and airy your bread loaf will be.
The commonest causes of lumpy or cracked dough are failure to knead the dough properly, or using the wrong kind of flour. If your flour doesn't contain enough protein, the dough will not turn smooth. You may also not be handling the dough properly, which could result in lumpiness or cracking.
Allowing the bread dough to rise for too long can ruin the texture and the taste of the bread. Both of these things are important when you want your bread to turn out right. The dough ferments as it continues to rise. If this process goes on for too long, you could wind up with bread that has a sour taste.
Over proofing or fermenting the dough can also result in the gluten structure weakening causing sticky dough. Sticky dough isn't necessarily a bad thing, although I appreciate how frustrating it is for a new baker.
put them for a few minutes on a radiator, put them under a lamp (near the light bulb), heat them up quickly with a hair dryer, place them in the microwave oven for a few seconds in defrosting mode.