How to Knead Bread in a Food Processor

Most people are intimidated by bread making, and it's often the kneading they find most puzzling. If you are making one loaf at a time, it's easy to knead bread in a food processor, following these steps.

Things You'll Need

• Food processor with cutting blade
• Ingredients according to recipe of your choice.

Instructions

1. Mix liquid ingredients and refrigerate until cold. Wet ingredients are refrigerated to counteract the heat of the food processor, which otherwise might kill the yeast.

2. Put dry ingredients in food pocessor with blade attached and mix well with a few short pulses of the blade.

3. Add wet ingredients while blade is running and process briefly just enough for dough to come together.

4. Let rest for 15 minutes.

5. Process dough again using quick pulses until it forms a smooth, soft ball. Add more flour or liquid if needed. Dough should easily come away from the sides of the bowl and the blades.

6. Remove dough from food processor and proceed with first rise, shaping, second rise and baking according to recipe.

Tips & Warnings

• If dried fruit, nuts or seeds are called for, incorporate them into your dough after removing it from the food processor. Pat dough flat, sprinkle with one quarter of the mixture, fold dough over, sprinkle another fourth and repeat until mixture is incorporated. Proceed as above.

• If the mixture expands to overflow the food processor, remove everything, clean the blades and put the dough back in.

Resources

• Find food processors at Cuisinart