The Cheese Board by Cheese Board Collective Staff Read Free Book Online

upper-body workout and it’s completely tactile. It is also a lesson in slowing down and staying in one place for longer than you usually do, and it can be very satisfying. A final plus is that it’s next to impossible to overknead dough by hand.
    First, mix the ingredients together with a wooden spoon until they are combined. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using the palm of your hand ( fig. A ).

    push the dough away from you and then bring it back toward your body ( fig. B ).

    Rotate the dough one-quarter turn and continue to push, pull, and rotate the dough, dusting with just enough extra flour to help make the dough manageable (usually 1 teaspoon at a time). The dough should lightly stick to the work surface; this resistance works like a second kneading tool. It is good to have a metal dough scraper on hand to help in the initial kneading stages, when the dough is wet and soft and not easy to manage with your hands. A light touch is a plus, since pressing down on the dough too vigorously will make it sticky.
    Kneading sourdough breads: The general kneading instructions above will work for sourdoughs, but we have an additional step we find useful. This method of kneading mimics the way the dough hook on a large industrial mixer grabs the dough, pulls it to the center, and turns the mass of dough at the same time. Kneading techniques are difficult to describe, but with these directions we hope to assist you in finding your own unique and effective style.
    Begin by kneading as described above. As the dough begins to feel elastic, change the motion of your hands: Plant your left thumb in the center of the dough ( fig. A ).

    With your right hand, pull the right side of the dough toward the center and push it down into the ball, rotating the dough one-quarter turn in the process ( fig. B and fig. C ).

    Repeat this plant, pull, swivel, and press sequence; as you practice kneading this way, it will become one swift, fluid motion.
    A yeasted dough or sourdough is sufficiently kneaded when it passes the windowpane test (see below) and meets other visual and textural criteria. Have you been kneading the dough for at least 10 to 15 minutes? Is the dough smooth and elastic? Is it shiny? If the answers are yes, it is time to stop kneading and let the dough rest and rise.
     
    GLUTEN DEVELOPMENT AND THE WINDOWPANE TEST
    Gluten is the substance responsible for the elastic texture of a properly kneaded dough. Gluten is formed when flour is combined with water and kneaded to the point where individual protein strands fasten together to form a sturdy network. The resulting dough is strong and springy, qualities that ultimately yield a chewy, light loaf of bread filled with air pockets.
    To be sure you have kneaded the dough long enough, apply the windowpane test: Take a small piece of dough between the thumb and forefinger of each hand and stretch the dough to form a thin membrane. If it tears quickly, knead the dough for a few more minutes and test again, until it is stretchy enough to allow the windowpane to form. Rye breads are the exception to this rule; as rye flour is naturally low in gluten, the windowpane test does not apply. Instead, follow the kneading time and check the recipe’s visual indicators.
    RISING
    Therising period is the stage when the dough feeds and ferments. While chemical leaveners—baking soda and baking powder—do the job for quick breads, yeasted doughs and sourdoughs require some rising time to develop their flavor and texture. The dough is put into a bowl, covered, and placed in a warm (70°F), draft-free place. All our recipes have instructions for rising periods.
    RETARDING
    Some of the recipes in this book—the sourdoughs in particular—require an extended rising period in a cool place (60°F or cooler). This type of slow rise is referred to as retarding the dough, a technique that allows the dough to develop a deeper taste and richer texture.
    There can be other reasons to