I made bagels so tough they could be doorstops, all from over-kneading.

3 comments

3 Comments

Does kneading too much just make the dough too tight? It traps all the air and turns them hard instead of chewy. Once they set like that, they're better for holding doors open than eating.

aaronburns2mo ago

What if kneading more actually helps some doughs get better? I mean, take bagels for instance, they need a lot of kneading to get that dense, chewy bite everyone loves. Idk, maybe it's just me but I've made pizza dough that turned out tough because I didn't knead it enough, not the other way around. Over kneading might be a myth for home bakers since most of us don't have machines that overwork it. So maybe the real issue is proofing time or oven heat, not how long you knead.

laurat262mo ago

It's pretty hard to actually over-knead by hand unless you're really going at it for half an hour. Most recipes call for maybe ten minutes. The gluten gets strong, sure, but it's the long proof that lets it relax and become chewy, not hard.