How to Knead Bread Dough 101

Hi!

I've had many people ask me how to knead bread. They say they just can't get the rhythm down. And yes, there is a rhythm to kneading dough. It's takes practice and time to perfect the art of dough kneading *wink*, but it is easy to do and pick up on.

When you knead dough, you have to make sure you are kneading it all the way, and not just pushing it a little. The better the knead the better the dough will be.

So, here is how you do it.

Bread Kneading 101

First, you want to make sure your dough is the right consistency. Not so sticky its like putty on your hands. Just a little tiny bit of stickiness is good.

 Make sure you have enough flour on your work surface so that the dough doesn't stick to it.

You will need to add more flour to the surface and your hands as you work it.

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First, fold in half and press down with the heel of your hand all the way to the table. I use a down and push forward technique. Press down with the heel of your hand and push out in front of you. There will be a small tear in the bottom of the dough.

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  Turn it 180*, then repeat

 

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When the sides of the dough begin to tear apart, you are doing it right.

Just make sure you push all the way down to the table.

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You don't want the following picture to happen.

This means you aren't using enough flour on your hands to keep the dough from sticking. And, it makes the job a lot more difficult.

This is a big no no

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Your finished dough should look like this. Smooth and silky, and not sticky.

 

Just repeat the process and you've got it.

 

Fold in half, push down and out, turn, fold in half, push down and out, turn.

As you continue to knead your dough, you can feel it changing. First it will be sticky and kind of just everywhere. Then it will begin to harden and shape. By the time you finish, it will be soft, smooth and pliable.

Only as flour as you need it while kneading, and only a little bit at a time. If you add too much dough, it will make the bread heavy and yucky.

It's that easy. The more you do it, the better you will get.

 

Happy Kneading!