BBC iD

Sign in

bbc.co.uk navigation

BBC

Kneading bread

Kneading bread

Kneading means working and stretching dough, either by hand or using an electric dough hook. The process makes the dough smoother and softer and develops the elasticity of the gluten in the flour. It also evenly incorporates air and any additional ingredients.

-Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.

-Push the dough away from you using the heel of one hand to stetch it, then pull it towards you using your fingertips, rolling it back into a rough ball.

-Continue to knead until the dough is smooth, soft and elastic, about 10 full minutes. The dough is ready when it springs back to the touch.

See recipe in full

White bread plait White bread plait

By Lesley Waters

Skill level

Easy

Equipment you will need for this technique

  • Flour dredger

Quick recipe finder

Type the ingredients you want to use, then click Go. For better results you can use quotation marks around phrases (e.g. "chicken breast"). Alternatively you can search by chef, programme, cuisine, diet, or dish (e.g. Lasagne).

Advanced search options

BBC © 2012 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.