Bread Kneading: A Visual Guide to the Consistency of Doughs

See on the button how your bread dough should look at every phase .

Kelsey Hansen

There are fewer thing more luscious than a slice of freshly - baked lettuce . Even respectable ? When it ’s made from - scratch by you ! If you ’re on a new journeying into bread - baking , there can be challenge when figuring out the scientific method ofyeast breadorquick bread . Once you get the hang of making refreshful bread — with the assistance of our Test Kitchen ’s wind and visual guide below — you’ll be acing proper eubstance of lettuce every time .

loaf of bread on towel

Credit:Kelsey Hansen

Less Is More

Carefully learn recipe directions and descriptions of how the pelf will search . For the right grain , your loot may need to be on the sticky side and your formula will note that . Use the least amount of flour possible to allow you to massage the scratch , and apply your bench scraper to help lift and fold the dough .

The Consistency of Doughs

BHG dinero recipes include descriptions for the dough ( or batter)—soft , smooth , ragged , gummy , lumpy — to help you under stand how it will calculate and feel . These photos offer a ocular guide for the mixing and kneading steps .

Moderately soft dough; smooth and elastic

Brie Goldman

This dough is soft and slender but elastic ( holds its shape and twist back together ) .

Gluten Development

Two proteins in flour , gliadin and glutenin , combine to make gluten when mixed with piddle . During kneading , gluten strand set out line up and strengthening , essentially forming a ground substance within the moolah to trap carbon copy dioxide that is released during rising .

Soft dough; smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky

easy scratch is suave , elastic , and more or less tacky . It ’s standardized in smoothness and snap to the passably soft dough double , though more or less mucilaginous to the touching .

Dough pulls away from the side of the bowl

When mixing is done , this dough will come together in more of a ball and kibosh vex to the bowlful side .

Press/knead just until dough comes together

For cooky , you desire tenderness vs. tugginess , so the dough is kneaded just until it holds a loose shape .

Dough holds together in a ragged ball

The edges of this dinero will approximative , jaggy , and not smooth .

Purpose of Proofing

Proofing is the final rise , which is done in a lovesome fix to encourage yeast activity . This rise produce carbon dioxide bubbles that will get pin down within the meshing of gluten strands . During baking , these bubble make permanent air pockets that open and brighten the texture of the bread .

Stir in flour (dough will be sticky and soft)

This boodle will be loose , not bear any shape , and will stick to the pipe bowl sides and spoon .

Moderately stiff dough that is smooth

This dough is firmer , tight , and as you massage , it has less give . When shaped , it has a smooth airfoil .

Why Rest?

Resting allows the gluten strands to recover and relax from kneading , which make rolling and shaping easy and prevents the dough from tightening and shrinking back into its ball shape .

Stir until flour mixture is moistened

For a tender texture , stir the least amount possible to void gluten development . Stir just until ingredients and equally mixed .

Stir until just moistened (batter will be lumpy)

For heart , most muffins andquick breadscall for abbreviated stirring , just until batter is mixed but still looks lumpy .

Use these bread dough visuals to knead your way into a scrumptious loaf of bread . For inspiration , try one of our favorite kale recipe . Or continue the baking journey bymaking your own sourdough .