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Writer's pictureJake Swenson

The Knead for Speed

Meant to post this yesterday. Sorry for the technical delays.


I’ve talked a few times about working (aka kneading) dough. There are several techniques within the working armamentarium. Each one will accomplish the end goal of combining the ingredients of your dough, activating the ingredients in need of it and incorporating air. Just to review…


The traditional technique of kneading involves turning the dough out onto a surface that has a barrier like flour, sugar or oil on it. The barrier serves to facilitate moving the dough around while also minimizing stick. The dough is stretched then folded on itself several times. It’s a pretty simple technique and any youtube video can teach you how to do it. The problem I have always had with this technique is it doesn’t really allow the dough to breathe. You’d be pissed if you couldn’t breathe.


The folding technique requires the most patience I have ever had to muster. It’s not a quick technique that produces an immediate result. Folding takes advantage of slow activation of amylase within the dough and allows the protein to develop naturally with gradual and timed turns of the dough. The dough is silky smooth and generally turns out light and airy. Folding takes, and this cannot be emphasized enough, FOREVER. Job would have trouble with folding.


The French technique of working is the one I use. It’s the manbearpig of kneading. Its half mess making, half workout and half kneading. Using the French technique allows the baker to work the dough in about the same time as the traditional method while achieving the light and airy texture of folding. The problem is you are going to have to get past the gross feeling of wet dough on your hands, the occasional dough glob fling and the fact that some of its going to stick to the bench. The mixed dough is folded on itself ad infinitum until the gloppy mess becomes a stretchy and smooth ball.


I posted my first video with a short snippet of the technique. If you have questions I can sure answer them or refer you to Richard Bertinet’s book Dough which has a video and a killer French accented teacher.

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