How to Hand Knead Bread Dough

There is something captivating about the smell of fresh baked bread. What's great about delicious homemade bread is that you don't need to own a fancy bread maker. In fact, all you need are the correct ingredients, a baking device and your hands to knead the dough. Even if you have never made bread before, it's easy to learn how to knead bread dough with your hands by following these steps.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flour
• Wooden board or counter work surface

1. Allow your bread dough to rise for 20 minutes after adding and mixing all the ingredients. This gives the enzymes in the yeast time to start digesting.

2. Scatter a small amount of flour on the counter or wooden board. Dust your hands with some flour. Pour the dough onto the flour. Scrape out all the dough from the bottom of the bowl.

3. Push and fold the dough on your work surface with your hands. Use the heel of your hands to help push the dough. The more you knead, pull and stretch the dough, the better the bread.

4. Turn the dough one quarter of a turn after each time you fold. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, depending on your recipe.

5. Add flour to your work surface if the dough becomes sticky. You are simply stretching the gluten in the dough when you knead and the gluten supports the bread providing it with an open texture.

6. Press your fingertip into the bread dough if you think the dough is ready to bake. Well-kneaded dough should feel smooth and elastic and your finger mark should spring back.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have excess flour on your work surface, gently shake off the flour from either the cutting board if you're using one or the dough itself.

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