TIL I was over-kneading my bread dough for years, making it tough instead of airy

Watched a friend in Seattle just fold her dough a few times and let it rest, and the oven spring was so obvious I felt like an idiot for all those hockey pucks I pulled out of my oven.

2 comments

2 Comments

hayes.joel1d ago

Wait, you're telling me all I had to do was fold it a few times instead of beating it into submission for twenty minutes? That's wild, I've been treating dough like it personally offended my family for like three years now. Seriously though, I'm almost mad nobody told me sooner about letting it rest instead of fighting it.

the_brian2h ago

Wait, how many times did you watch that guy on food network just punch dough around before you figured it out? Same boat for me until a bakery owner told me I was basically giving the gluten a workout instead of letting it relax. @hayes.joel the real trick is folding it like three times with 30 minutes rest in between. Way less mess, way more consistent crumb. I still beat it when I'm stressed though, old habits.