Book 9, Question 52
Why Do Bakers Knead Dough?
Bakers knead dough to line up gluten proteins into a stretchy, elastic network! That network holds bubbles and gives bread a pleasant chew. Under-kneaded bread can be dense.
More fun facts
- The gluten network holds dough together and lets it stretch.
- Kneading slowly untangles the gluten and lines up its long strands into a stretchy, layered web.
- To knead by hand, stretch the dough away from you, fold it back and repeat for about 10 minutes.
- Dough is kneaded enough when your hands are fairly clean of sticky dough.
- In whole grain dough, sharp bits of bran can slice through gluten strands during kneading, which makes it harder to bake.
Sources: Scientific American, BBC, Smithsonian Magazine
Questions kids ask
How long should I knead dough by hand?
About 10 minutes of stretching and folding, until your hands come away fairly clean.