fermented doughs feel softer and easier to
work than newly kneaded dough.
Food Words: Knead
The word knead comes from an Indo-
European root meaning “to compress into a
ball”; related words are gnocchi, quenelle,
knoll, and knuckle.
Doughs made from high-protein flours
may be put through a second rising to develop
their tougher gluten fully. Either way, the
fermented dough is then divided, gently
rounded into balls, rested for a few minutes to
allow the gluten to relax somewhat, and then
molded into loaves. The loaves are then
allowed another partial rise, or “proof,” to
prepare them for the final and dramatic rise
during baking.
Retarding the Fermentation Traditional
breadmaking can last many hours, and bakers
would often have to work through the night in