Did You Know – Kneading Dough
How do you make sure you have kneaded dough long enough? Kneading dough for 10-12 minutes by hand or 8-10 minutes in a mixer are the general standards. Check out these five other ways to tell.
Here are a few other things to look for:
1. SMOOTH DOUGH TEST: The dough will start out looking like a lumpy mass and will gradually smooth out as you knead. By the time you finish, it should be completely smooth and slightly tacky to the touch.
2. HOLDS ITS SHAPE TEST: Lift the ball of dough in your hand and hold it in the air for a few seconds. If it holds its ball shape, that means the gluten is tight and strong. If it sags down between your fingers, the gluten is still too loose and needs some more kneading.
3. THE POKE TEST: Give that ball of dough a firm poke with your finger. If the indentation fills back quickly, you’re good to go. If it stays looking like a deep dimple, continue kneading.
4. THE WINDOW PANE TEST: Pull off a golf-ball-sized piece of dough and stretch it into a thin sheet between your fingers. If the gluten is well-developed, the dough will stretch into a paper-thin film without breaking. If it quickly breaks, keep kneading.
5. WHEN YOU’RE TIRED TEST: You may laugh, but this is true! If you’ve been kneading for 10-12 minutes and your arms are tired, the dough is probably good. (If you get tired before that time is up, it’s ok to rest for a few minutes and come back to it.) As long as your dough is close to passing the tests mentioned above, even if you’re not 100% confident, you can consider yourself within range.
http://www.InDianesKitchen.com
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Categories: Did You Know, Dough
I don’t think I will ever need to knead dough 🙂
Keep that in your need to know file. Lol
🙂
Great advice. Must admit I’ve never been very good at making bread but this will be helpful to know if I give it another try.
I love making food with dough. I have a great pizza dough recipe, buns and more. Don’t give up, it is so rewarding Paul. Thank you!
Thank’s Ned!
good to know –
Thank you Beth
Although I sometimes use the standing mixer, I love kneading by hand!
I’m stuck with the standing mixer mostly. I had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands followed by arthritis. I can only knead for a short time.
Well, even just a couple of kneads gives you the feeling!
excellent! I hope to start baking bread again now that it is fall.
I’ve been making the Amish cinnamon sour dough bread every 10 days. I am ready for colder weather too so I can experiment with regular bread, not sourdough. Thank you Nancy!
This is great information, Diane! Thanks for posting it 🙂
I tried making challah earlier this year, but the yeast was dead (I didn’t test it first, something which I will do from now on.) I hope to do more baking here soon!
I am so glad it will help Beth! I agree with checking the yeast first. It is a lot of work to find out the dough failed.
I saw a funny video with Anderson Cooper interviewing “Breaking Bread’s” Tony Shalhoub. I saved the link for you and can’t find it, but will. Anderson Cooper said he never tasted rye bread even though he lives in New York, nor pumpernickel bread either. It was just a five-minute interview, but you would laugh because he also said he didn’t know pickles were from cucumbers – even I knew that. Is this butterfly and bloom from your garden Diane?
I hope you find it I need a good laugh! Yes that is my Rose of Sharon. When it flowers it is loaded with bee’s and these butterfly or moths, whatever it is. He took off at the same time I clicked the camera. My Rose of Sharon is 8-9 feet tall. I have it on one side of the front of the cabana. Terry dug up the raspberries on the other front side so I can plant another Rose of Sharon there next year.
I just found it and looked for your comment to send it now and here in case someone else wanted to see it – or you can just look at it and delete it. I follow Anderson Cooper on Twitter, not Facebook, but when I searched for the video, thinking it might be on YouTube to send it to you, it wasn’t there but I think you said you’re on Facebook. It just cracked me up that he admitted some of these things. That is a huge Rose of Sharon. Marge’s Rose of Sharon bush sent some “volunteers” a few years ago, but I don’t think they lasted the Winter. Hope you think this is funny:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/164cmDeRQr/
When the flowers die and drop to the ground is how they give off volunteers. Mine hasn’t grown any runners but seedlings pop up. I thought the video was hilarious. I don’t think we get CNN, I would love to watch the show.
I didn’t know what time of year there were volunteers – too bad it didn’t materialize into a plant/bush as they are hardy. I’m glad you were able to view it.
I just watched it again – I am sending the “reel” link as it is funny. But I saved it to send to you in case you wanted to watch the premiere of the show (which was Sunday). So I’ve been following Anderson Cooper for a while and he once said that the reason he has always been so thin and able to keep his weight in check was that in college he was the typical starving college student and existed on Ramen Noodles and as little food as possible to save money. He does crack me up when Tony S says try pumpernickel bread and Anderson says “is that a subset of rye?”
https://www.facebook.com/reel/794823956578825
OMG That was so funny. Does Anderson live in a barn or what? How can he not know about pickles? He must not go to fast food restaurants since pickles are on most sandwiches. Thanks for a good laugh!
Sorry I sent it twice, but I wanted to ensure at least one of the links worked for you. I knew you would get a kick out of it – I really don’t get that because it is not like Anderson Cooper was raised out in the sticks. He lives right in New York City. And his mother was Gloria Vanderbilt so I didn’t really “get” the starving college student, unless he wanted to put himself through college without his parents paying for it. I was laughing when Tony Shalhoub said “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with a grown man!” It did crack me up and gave you a laugh too so all is good. I just Googled and found how to watch it – will put that in a separate comment.
It sounds like one I would love for sure Linda but I just can’t figure out how to bring it up. Years ago there was a Monk that had a show called Breaking Bread and he had some great recipes. Somewhere in my hundred cook books is one I ordered from his TV show.
I looked back on YouTube to see if showed up there – no, but I suspect that it’s a limited run and sooner or later it might show up on YouTube. I noticed they have free movies now with ads, something I don’t recall them having before. I know Amazon had free movies and TV but I think more and more they are becoming pay-to-watch and have commercials.
Sure is looking like it.
That’s too bad.
Diane – here’s what I found as alternatives to CNN:
You can watch Tony Shalhoub’s new show, “Breaking Bread,” live or on-demand on CNN, which premiered on Sunday, October 5, at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. The series can also be found on streaming services like Sling TV and DIRECTV. OR …
If you scroll down it has a link, but when I connected there it didn’t work, but it could be my VPN or ad blocker. It is only six episodes for now. Too bad it is not available on YouTube. I just looked.
https://www.nj.com/tv/2025/10/tony-shalhoub-breaking-bread-season-one-how-to-watch-on-demand-for-free.html
https://www.nj.com/tv/2025/10/tony-shalhoub-breaking-bread-season-one-how-to-watch-on-demand-for-free.html
I have Direct tv but with my plan I can’t get it. I clicked the link and it told me private so that is a no go. Thank you for thinking of me Linda!
It looked like it would be a fun show, even without Anderson Cooper in the actual show. 🙂
I appreciate you trying to find it for me. Thank you!
You’re welcome Diane.
All helpful hints!
Thank you Joni! It is valuable information to learn, especially for newbie’s.
Right – I only made bread once, and I was not sure what I was doing. It looked nice but was tasteless. Practice makes perfect!
I love making pizza dough and buns the most. I made English muffins with the Amish sour dough starter. They looked and tasted great but were stale by day two.
I always struggle with that do this is super useful to me😎
It’s fun once you figure it out. The hardest part for me was keeping the dough warm while it rises. I actually used a heating pad when I made my last bread.
I leave mine in the hot press sometime, covered with a kitchen towel.
Interesting, what is a hot press? I googled it but it has more than one meaning,
😂sorry I have t thought about that. And in fact actually I’ve never noticed one when visiting my friends over there. Probably is something you do not have in the states because of a different plumbing system. It’s a kind of cabinet where the hot water tank is stored and above it there are normally shelves to store a few bits and bobs you want out of the way.
Have a lovely day dear
P.s
I made a dough with your tips yesterday 😍😋
Interesting, I have never seen one before. I am so glad you were able to use the tips. I hope what you made turned out delicious!
Good advice, thanks!
You’re welcome Mary, have a wonderful day!
I kneaded to learn about this today! Thanks Diane. 😊
One of these days I am going to post a recipe for making bread in a bag. It is a fun one for kids because all the mixing is done in a ziploc bag and you squish the bag to mix it. My husband made two loaves of my beer bread (super easy) today and my 11 year old grandson ate a piece immediately when he got off the bus, and then wanted another piece. I said no you will be eating supper and I think the other loaf of bread is going home with you, then he was happy. BTW, I got the kneaded instead of needed. 🤣
That will be a very popular recipe for parents with young kids!
I didn’t know about these tests. I just got to the place where I instinctively knew if I had kneaded it long enough. I may need your tests, however, because I haven’t kept in practice!
I like it because that is a long time kneading (at least with my hands) and I tend to lose track of time. This keeps me on track.
Thanks for this education, I kneaded it 😉
Haha I got that!
Saving this post. Love the beautiful flower at the end. 🙂
Thank you, the flower is my rose of Sharon.
According to my friend, I always need too long. I should try the 10 to 12 minute rule and see how that works. I love making your beer bread, it is a no brainer and everyone loves it, although I always add cheese.
I hope the chart will make it better. I don’t make beer bread anymore, my husband does because it’s so easy. We don’t drink and my grandson asked why we have beer in the refrigerator. Lol