When is it best to do stretch and fold versus mechanical kneading?
I have recently starting making bread using the stretch and fold technique, getting much better results in terms of crumb than previously using my kitchen aid and mechanical kneading. I'm wondering what doughs/products this technique is NOT well suited to. Of particular interest are things like bagels, boiled fruit dumplings, hamburger buns and doughs rich in eggs and fat in general.
Are there particular types of products that benefit from SaF and some that inherently do not? I already suppose one indicator for SaF suitability would be high hydration and desirability of larger holes in the crumb.
Best Answer
I can think of one case where yeast doughs shouldn't suffer from mechanical mixing:
- If you're going to be rolling out the dough (eg, for filling & making dumpling-like products, or rolling balls for monkey bread), you'd normally end up compressing the air bubbles when rolling it. Mechanical mixing has the same problem, so the difference between hand-kneaded and mechanical-kneaded shouldn't be noticeable.
I also tend to use a mixer on doughs that have so high of a hydration that they're more batter-like ... but I'm starting to question that practice after your question. (they're not that hard to stir with a wooden spoon ... it just takes a little time).
Most of the breads that I make in my mixer are enriched breads (lots of butter or milk), and have small bubbles. (what rumtscho refers to as 'cakelike crumb').
I also use a mixer on breads that take so long to knead that I wouldn't make them without a mixer -- it might result in an inferior loaf, but it's either a fresh slightly sub-par loaf, store-bought (which is likely also machine mixed), or no bread at all. You can work some larger air bubbles back into the mix by not punching it down (or doing it gently), but using a more gentle stretch and fold before shaping and the final proofing.
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When should I start stretching and folding?
Method. After mixing sourdough dough, you generally let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes before starting on your stretch and folds. Each recipe is different, so refer to them individually. Once that first 20 to 30 minute rest (called autolyse) is over, you are ready to begin your first round of stretch and folds.How often should you stretch and fold sourdough?
Stretch and folds are completed in sets. The first set is usually done about 30 minutes into the bulk rise. Then, you'll complete up to 4 additional sets spaced about 15 minutes to 1 hour apart, depending on the dough's flexibility and your own personal baking schedule.Is machine kneading better than hand kneading?
Can a food processor or mixer replace kneading by hand? Using a machine to do your kneading changes the final product. While a food processor or a stand mixture does a fine job of developing the gluten in dough, neither one of them perfectly mimics the motion of hand-kneading.What is the purpose of kneading bread dough or performing stretch and folds )?
The act of stretching the bread dough up and over further develops the dough's gluten, bringing increased elasticity. But these sets also give you a chance to equalize the dough's temperature.Kneading or Stretch and Fold? (Which is best?)
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Answer 2
As explained in my older answer Joe linked in a comment, the purpose of stretch and fold is to align the gluten sheets, producing the typical structure of kneaded bread. Depending on your final shaping, you end up with either a sheetlike structure (e.g. in ciabatta) or with spirals/threads in kozunak and other braided breads.
One reason to not do the stretch and fold is when you want to achieve a cakelike crumb with yeast dough. The mixer does develop the gluten, but it makes a regular crumb with no discernible direction of the dough structure. For Pullman style loaves, or also for some types of "cake" made with yeast dough (sorry, English doesn't have the correct word here) such as zwetschgendatschi, a mixer will produce better results. From your list, the hamburger buns will be closer to fast food restaurant style if you use the mixer, it's up to you to know if you want them this way.
The other, and much more common reason, is convenience. While kneading dough can be a very pleasant, relaxing thing to do, sometimes you just value your time over the perfect bread texture, and do it in the stand mixer, so you can take care of other stuff in the meantime.
The third reason why someone would choose the mixer is to avoid the learning curve of doing stretch and fold, or not knowing that the results of proper hand kneading technique are superior. This is, in my eyes, a false economy, since learning to knead properly is easy and a skill worth having even for casual bakers.
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