Kneading

In cooking (and more specifically baking), kneading is a process in the making of bread or dough, used to mix the ingredients and add strength to the final product.

The kneading process warms and stretches these gluten strands, eventually creating a springy and elastic dough.

If bread dough does not develop these gluten strands, it will not be able to hold the tiny pockets of gas (carbon dioxide) created by the leavening agent (such as yeast or baking powder), and will collapse, leaving a heavy and dense loaf.

Kneading can be performed by hand (the traditional way), with a mixer equipped with a dough hook, or with a bread machine.

The aim of this is to remove any large gas pockets which have formed in the dough, create an even texture in the bread, and redistribute the nutrients for the yeast, thus allowing fermentation to continue.