The Clueless Baker. Evelyn Raab

gluten doesn’t just happen. You have to develop it. That’s where kneading comes in. When you work dough by hand (or with a mixer or other machine), you encourage the strands of gluten to become long and elastic so that they can contain the bubbles of carbon dioxide that the yeast exhales as it grows and so that your bread can rise beautifully.

      The beginner’s method

      Dust your work surface liberally with flour. Dump the dough onto this floured surface and dust the top with more flour. Press down on the dough, flattening it out in a pizza shape about 1 inch (2 cm) in thickness. Fold it into quarters. Flatten again as before. Fold again. Continue to flatten and fold, dusting the dough with as much flour as is necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the table or your hands. Keep going. Don’t stop. Flatten, fold, flatten, fold, dust, and so on. Eventually the dough will become smooth and elastic and will no longer stick to the table or your hands. Keep kneading a little longer. When the dough feels very much like your earlobe (pinch it to find out), it’s ready. There. Now, wasn’t that fun?

      Advanced transcendental kneading

      After you’ve gained some bread-baking experience, you’ll become so good at kneading that you’ll no longer have to consciously flatten the dough and fold it into quarters. Instead, you’ll use the heel of one hand to press down on the dough while turning it over with the other. It becomes rhythmic. Hypnotic. Transcendental. You become one with the dough as the squishy lump absorbs all your frustration and stress. You achieve inner peace. At the same time, you have made bread. I mean, is that perfect or what?

      Loafing Around

      When it comes to forming a loaf of bread, you have choices! You can simply form your dough into a regular loaf — squarish, baked in a loaf pan — which is convenient for sandwiches. Or you can make a fancy braided loaf. Or a round one. Or do something weird and free-form. Go ahead — loaf around.

      Regular loaf

      On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough out with a rolling pin or by hand, to a 9-inch (23 cm) square. Approximately. Now roll the dough up firmly into a cylinder, pressing out any air pockets or bubbles. Place in a well-greased 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan and tuck the ends under neatly. There. Nice and tidy. Let rise and then bake.

      Rustic round loaf

      By hand, form the dough into an evenly rounded ball and place it — smooth-side-up — on a well-greased baking sheet that has been lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rise until almost (but not quite) doubled. Just before baking, remove the cover and cut a shallow X in the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife. When the loaf is baked, this cut will allow the loaf to expand, giving it a very snazzy, professional look.

      Beautiful braided loaf

      For a simple braided loaf, divide the dough into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, about 1 inch (2 cm) thick. Pinch the three ropes together at one end and proceed to braid the three strands until you come to the end. Pinch the other end together so it doesn’t unravel and place the braid on a well-greased baking sheet.

      For a double-decker braided loaf, you can make two braids — the smaller one on top of the larger one. Simply divide the original lump of dough into two unequal portions (one noticeably larger than the other). Divide each into three ropes, then braid each one as above. Place the smaller braid on top of the larger braid, let rise and bake as usual. There: double-decker!

      Crazy mixed-up loaves

      Make a loaf out of balls of dough squashed into any shape of pan. Roll the dough out into a long snake and form it into a spiral, a squiggle, an octopus, a figure eight. Make a turtle, a bunny, an elephant. Shape your dough into an alligator. A dump truck. A daisy. Have fun. Go crazy. It’ll all get eaten in the end.

      Awesome Egg Challah

      This traditional bread is so stunning that it would still be worth making even if it didn’t taste so wonderful.

      4 cups (1 liter) all-purpose flour (approximately), divided

      4½ tsp. (22 ml) (2 envelopes) quick-rise instant yeast

      ¼ cup (60 ml) granulated sugar or honey

      2 tsp. (10 ml) salt

      1 cup (250 ml) hot tap water

      ½ cup (125 ml) vegetable oil

      2 eggs, lightly beaten

      poppy seeds or sesame seeds for sprinkling

      In a very large bowl, stir together 2 cups (500 ml) of the flour, the yeast, sugar or honey and salt. Add the hot water, the oil and the eggs, and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Gradually add the additional flour, ½ cup (125 ml) at a time, until the dough becomes too stiff to stir. It will still be sticky. Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic and feels damp, but no longer sticks to your hands or the table. You might not need to use all the flour.

      Grease a large bowl and place the dough in it, then turn it over to grease all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume — about 30 to 45 minutes.

      Punch down the dough, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it a few times. Form into one large braided loaf (see directions on page 43) and place on a well-greased baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and put back in a warm spot to rise until nearly (but not quite) doubled — 20 to 30 minutes.

      Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

      Brush loaf with an egg wash glaze (see sidebar) and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds, if desired. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the bread is dark golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap it with a finger.

      Let cool (for at least a little while) before serving.

      Makes 1 awesome challah.

      Egg Wash Glaze

      In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg yolk with 1 tbsp. (15 ml) water. Use this mixture to brush the top of challah or any other bread where you want a shiny, golden brown crust. Gorgeous!

      Italian Everything Dough

      You can use this dough to make your own homemade pizza or the best focaccia you have ever tasted. Or both.

      3½ cups (800 ml) all-purpose flour (approximately), divided

      2¼ tsp. (11 ml) (1 envelope) quick-rise instant yeast

      1 tsp. (5 ml) salt

      1 cup (250 ml) hot tap water

      ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil or vegetable oil

      In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups (500 ml) of the flour, the yeast granules and the salt. Add the hot water and oil, and stir until the mixture is smooth (it will be sticky and gooey —that’s fine). Now add the remaining flour, ½ cup (125 ml) at a time, stirring it with a wooden spoon until it becomes too sticky to stir.

      At this point, dump about ½ cup (125 ml) of the flour onto a work surface, spread it around a bit, then turn the sticky lump of dough out onto this floured surface. Begin kneading the dough by hand, adding only as much additional flour as is necessary to keep it from sticking to your hands (or the table). Continue to knead for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. You might not need to use all the flour.

      Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to make sure all the sides are oiled, then cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in volume — about 30 minutes (see rising suggestions — page 35).

      When the dough has doubled, punch it down to deflate it, then knead it a few times on a lightly floured surface. Let rest for 5 minutes and then use as a base for pizza or to make some Fabulous Focaccia.

      Makes