How long knead bread dough by hand

Remove the dough from the bowl with a bench scraper and place it on a clean, dry countertop. Do not flour the countertop first. Grab the right side of the dough with both hands, with your fingers under the dough and thumbs on top.

Repeat for minutes, rotating the same direction each time, until dough is smooth and fully kneaded. Remove the dough from the bowl with a scraper and place it on a clean, dry countertop. Windowpane test: Perform the windowpane test to see if your dough is fully kneaded. Gently stretch a small portion of the dough. If properly kneaded, it will be elastic and form a thin membrane you can see light through.

Under-kneaded dough will break when stretching because the gluten is not well-developed. In this case, keep kneading. Push the dough away from you using the palm of your hand.

The dough will stretch a bit as you do so. Repeat the process and don't be afraid to be rough with the dough. How long you need to knead dough depends on the type of flour you use and your experience level. The average time is about 10 minutes but, if you are new to bread making, you might need longer. Bread flour, which has a higher gluten content than all-purpose flour, typically needs a longer kneading time.

You do not want to under-knead the dough or over-knead it. If you knead for too long, the finished bread will be stiff and hard to eat. Bread dough is ready once it feels smooth and has an elastic quality. You can test the dough to see if you've kneaded it enough by tearing off a small piece. Stretch the piece of dough into a flat square. The dough should develop a thin membrane as you stretch it. If the membrane breaks or the dough tears in half, knead for a bit longer.

This is referred to by bakers as the "windowpane" test, because the dough should stretch enough to be see-through. If you find you don't enjoy getting your hands dirty when making bread and don't own a stand mixer or food processor to handle the kneading for you, you can make bread without kneading at all.

Flour contains two proteins that combine to form gluten , which is responsible for creating the elastic texture in the dough.

After the dough ingredients are mixed, the proteins are in a random pattern and knotted together. When the dough is kneaded, the proteins begin to line up in such a way that strands of gluten develop and create a structure that allows for the trapping of gases and the dough to rise. Kneading only takes a few minutes, requires just your hands, a flat surface, and a bit of flour to keep the dough from sticking.

Use a counter or tabletop that allows you to extend your arms to knead the dough while not making you hunch over a table. Sprinkle the surface with flour and scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the countertop. Begin kneading the dough, pushing it down and then outward, only using the heels of your hands. Fold the dough in half toward you and press down.

Then use the heels of your hands again to push down and outward, lengthening and stretching the strands of gluten and dough fibers. Turn the dough about 45 degrees and knead again with the heels of your hands. If it is getting sticky, add a little more flour. Continue to knead, folding and turning the dough, until it is smooth and supple.