In recent years, the tradition of baking bread at home has seen a remarkable resurgence. Among the many types of breads, sourdough has captured the hearts of home bakers with its distinct taste and texture. This revival has kitchens buzzing with the activities of mixing, kneading, and proofing. However, lurking in the process of creating the perfect loaf is a common pitfall: over-kneading. Understanding why to avoid over-kneading sourdough is crucial in mastering the art of bread-making. Let’s dive into the reasons, signs, and solutions.
The Consequences of Over-Kneading
Sourdough, unlike other bread doughs, relies on a delicate balance between its natural yeast and bacteria to rise and develop flavor. Over-kneading the dough can lead to several issues. The primary reason to avoid over-kneading is the risk of developing a tough, dense bread. Kneading develops the gluten in flour, giving bread its structure and chew. However, too much kneading overdevelops the gluten, leading to bread that’s more chewy than airy. Excessive kneading can increase the dough's temperature, accelerating the fermentation process. This can result in a sour taste and weaken the gluten structure, affecting the bread's ability to rise properly.
Identifying over-kneaded dough is key to avoiding it. Signs include: the dough feeling very tight and being difficult to shape; the dough tearing easily when stretched, indicating that the gluten is too developed. Additionally, the dough also loses its tackiness and becomes excessively smooth.
If you suspect your dough is over-kneaded, all is not lost. Letting the dough rest longer can help relax the gluten strands, making it easier to shape. However, the best strategy is prevention. When kneading, focus on the dough's texture and appearance. It should be tacky (not sticky), and when a small piece is stretched, it should form a thin, translucent "windowpane" without tearing. For sourdough, a kneading time of about 10 to 15 minutes by hand is generally sufficient. If using a stand mixer, 5 to 8 minutes on a low setting should be adequate.Over time, getting a feel for the dough is invaluable. Each batch of flour can behave differently, so adaptability is key.
While over-kneading poses risks, so does overmixing and under-kneading. Overmixing, especially in the initial mixing phase, can lead to similar issuesas over-kneading. On the other hand, under-kneading results in insufficient gluten development, producing bread with a dense crumb and lackluster rise.
Excessive kneading can increase the dough's temperature, accelerating the fermentation process. This can result in a sour taste and weaken the gluten structure, affecting the bread's ability to rise properly.
Because under-kneaded dough doesn't spring up as much in the oven, it often results in a flatter loaf with a dense texture. While it may not be the perfect loaf you hoped for, it's still entirely edible.
If mixed too long the dough can become loose and sticky. The water that was absorbed by the flour gets released back into the dough and the gluten structure breaks down. After this there is no way to fix it. It will be a loose, soggy, and sticky mass unable to hold in fermentation gasses.
This is more a curiosity than something that needs resolution. Recipes for bread, sourdough or not, typically ask for (hand-) kneading of anything from 4 to 10 minutes.
The Poke Test – Give that ball of dough a firm poke with your finger. If the indentation fills back quickly, you're good to go. If it stays looking like a deep dimple, continue kneading.
Overproofed is when the dough has rested too long and the yeast has continued making carbon dioxide while the strength of the dough (gluten bonds) have begun to wear out. The dough will look very puffy, but when you touch it or move it you may notice it deflate or sag.
Too little folding can result in weak dough. But too much folding can produce excessive tension and compressive forces. An over-folded dough might have a tighter crumb as the layers of alveoli push against each other and coalesce. In the worst case, excessive folding might cause a dough to tear under too much tension.
Kneading dough is essential for developing the gluten structure, creating the right texture, ensuring yeast and salt are evenly spread throughout the bake, and helping the bread to rise properly – so if you don't knead dough, all of these things are unlikely to happen.
With each sourdough starter feeding, you'll be discarding some to avoid it from becoming overly acidic. Most will compost or trash this discard, but you can save it and use it in other recipes!
If you suspect your dough is over-kneaded, all is not lost. Letting the dough rest longer can help relax the gluten strands, making it easier to shape.
Overworked sourdough can become tough and lose its ability to rise properly. If your dough feels tight and is difficult to shape, it might be overworked. Remember, sourdough requires a gentle touch and should not be kneaded as vigorously as other types of bread dough.
What bakers call the “poke test” is the best way to tell if dough is ready to bake after its second rise. Lightly flour your finger and poke the dough down about 1".If the indent stays, it's ready to bake. If it pops back out, give it a bit more time.
The dough feels very tough and dense. Over-kneaded dough will be tough and dense, and it will not have the soft and springy texture that properly kneaded dough has. The dough does not rise well. Over-kneaded dough may not rise as well as it should, resulting in a loaf of bread that is dense and heavy.
It means your dough is over-fermented or over-proofed. But this batch of dough hadn't gone too far that i couldn't save it. Crumb wasnt super great, but it's okay.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
