Knead Dough

Kneading dough is essential to making bread. Kneading stretches the dough and develops the gluten, the springy stuff that gives bread its texture. It also helps to uniformly distribute the gases that are the byproduct of the yeast's metabolism.

Steps

 * 1)  Combine the ingredients for your dough according to the recipe directions.  These may simply be water, yeast, and flour for a basic bread, or a complicated list, but you should start with a detailed recipe. Measure the ingredients and mix according to instructions.
 * 2)  Mix in as much of the flour as you can with a spoon.
 * 3)  [[Image:Knead_dough_1_683.jpg|250px|right]]Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a clean, well-floured surface.  A wooden board or clean table is best.  Make sure it is at a height where you are comfortable working.  If it is very moist or sticky, sprinkle additional flour over the top.
 * 4) [[Image:Knead_dough_2_826.jpg|250px|right]]Gather the dough into a pile and begin pressing it together.
 * 5) [[Image:Knead_dough_3_651.jpg|250px|right]]Press the heels of your hands firmly into the dough, pushing forward slightly.
 * 6)  [[Image:Kneed_dough_464.jpg|250px|right]]Fold the far edge of the dough upwards, towards you, and press it into the middle of the ball.  Rotate it slightly, too.  Repeat this press-fold-turn sequence for the duration of the kneading process.
 * 7) Pinch the dough to see if you're done. Bread dough will become firmer as you knead it, just as winding a spring makes more winding harder. Pinch a bit of dough between your fingers.  If it's ready, it will feel like an earlobe.  If in doubt, knead a little longer.

Tips

 * Add flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Generally, if you are making bread, you have added enough flour when the dough mostly stops sticking to the board.  The amount will vary somewhat according to the moisture in the loaf. If you are making something else, such as biscuits, add flour according to the recipe plus just enough on the outsides to keep it from sticking too badly.
 * Distinguish between bread flour (for yeasted recipes) and pastry flour (for recipes without yeast). The former will help you build gluten.  The distinction is more important for whole wheat flour than it is for white or unbleached flour.
 * Time your kneading, especially if the recipe suggests a time. 20 minutes can seem like a long time doing the same repetitive activity. Don't cut it short.
 * A dough scraper can make cleanup easier. Anything with a straight but fairly blunt edge will do.
 * Try not to tear the dough, just stretch it.
 * Cool, dry hands are best for kneading.
 * For easier cleanup, especially with sticky dough, wear latex disposable gloves when kneading.

Warnings

 * It's very difficult to over-knead by hand. It is definitely possible to over-knead with a mixer, though.
 * For any pastry not using yeast, you should probably knead only enough to obtain a smooth, even consistency and fully mix the ingredients. For bread, you want to build gluten, but gluten in non-yeasted recipes can make them tough.
 * Thoroughly clean your work surface and your hands before and after kneading.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Make Bread from Scratch
 * How to Make Bread
 * How to Make "No Knead" Whole Wheat Bread
 * How to Work With Yeast in Bread Making
 * How to Make Flour Tortillas

Sources and Citations
Sovar Massas
 * http://www.baking911.com/bread/101_knead.htm
 * VideoJug Instructional Video - Selected screenshots shared with permission.