January 31, 2015 - 11:24am
Can you over work bread dough?
Yesterday, I made a batch of simple bread dough which I split in half to make two country style loaves. The first I fussed with because the score didn't look perfect and kept working it to make perfect marks ( I know I know anal much?). That loaf ended up with a poor crumb and gummy middle while the other loaf (which I was satisfied with) turned out to be the best loaf of my life. My question is can you distroy bread dough by fussing with it too much or over kneading?
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Yes. And you saw proof in your own kitchen and answered your own question in the process :*)
Janet
to over knead bread when working by hand. If you are using a machine, then it is less difficult, but you still must really "go at it" to get there. However, that is at the mixing stage. Later, after you have shaped and proofed? Janet has it dead on there when she said "Yes. And you saw proof in your own kitchen and answered your own question in the process". Once you have proofed, leave it alone. Take your best shot at the scoring, but one shot is all you get. If you re-knead at that point, the loaf will end up "with a poor crumb and gummy middle". The reason for this is that, at this point in the life of the dough, it has used up a great deal of the available food. There is not enough left to proof again, and again. If you don't like the scoring, remember what you did, re-read the tutorials on how to do it correctly, eat up the evidence and try again on the next loaf.
Hang in there and you will get better at it.
OldWoodenSpoon
You guys are so helpful!