Kneading Bread After Rising

Why should bread be kneaded before rising?

If I knead bread after the first rise what difference will it make?

Best Answer

The purpose of kneading is to develop gluten in the dough. Gluten is made of long strands of protein — it makes the dough stretchy, so it can contain the bubbles created by the yeast or sourdough culture, enabling the dough to rise. Therefore, you need to knead before rising.

If you knead the dough again after its first rise, you'll destroy many of the bubbles and your dough will become flat and dense. Most recipes call for a "forming" step after the first rise — this should be done gently, so as to keep as many of those bubbles in the dough as possible. This will keep your bread light, with a nice open crumb.

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Quick Answer about "Kneading Bread After Rising"

After the first rise you should knead your dough very briefly, and gently, to avoid tearing. This allows the large bubbles to be deflated and dispersed, ready for another rise. Being gentle prevents tearing the gluten network which is delicate after resting, and crucial for a good bread.

What happens if you knead dough after rising?

If you knead the dough again after its first rise, you'll destroy many of the bubbles and your dough will become flat and dense. Most recipes call for a "forming" step after the first rise \u2014 this should be done gently, so as to keep as many of those bubbles in the dough as possible.

Should you knead dough before or after it rises?

The secret of successful rising Most recipes call for the bread to double in size \u2013 this can take one to three hours, depending on the temperature, moisture in the dough, the development of the gluten, and the ingredients used.

How long should bread rise before kneading?

If you do end up over-proofing, you can bake it and hope for the best (which will likely be tasty with butter) or even better, punch it down and reshape it for a third rise. It will likely take a bit longer to rise, and might not grow as large this time around, but in most situations it will turn out just as well.

How To Knead, Rise and Shape Bread Dough

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Diana Akchurina, Klaus Nielsen, Klaus Nielsen, Flora Westbrook