Kneading Bread Dough Is a Waste of Time | No-Knead Method Explained

In simple terms mixing is the even distribution of ingredients throughout the dough. But of course, it is more complicated than just that. The mechanical action of mixing develops the gluten network inside the dough.

How does gluten work? Gluten is created as soon as flour is mixed with water. Flour contains two proteins that work together to create gluten – glutenin and gliadin. Glutenin helps develop dough structure and elasticity. Gliadin gives dough the ability to be stretchy (extensibility). It is the balance between the two proteins that allows the dough to be stretchy without tearing and elastic without stretching too far.

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[deenyc]

I love how your baking is evolving. While you're teaching us you're learning and discovering along with us.

[WatchesTrainsAndRockets]

Here's a tip to mix the melted butter easier. Whisk the melted butter into the eggs before adding the rest of the wet and non-flour ingredients. The eggs will form an emulsion with the butter (or oil) and the mild and/or water. The butter mixes in much faster if the water is not present at the start. Just be sure to keep the eggs stirring with the whisk as you drizzle the butter in. This works with anything that has eggs and melted butter such as pancake batter, waffle batter, or popovers.

[MrMaltasar]

For the bread I make most often (a 70% hydration; flour, water, salt, and dry yeast dough) I never knead and I don't even do folds. I mix it in the evening right before sleep and I let it autolyse/bulk ferment overnight (anywhere from 10 to 14 hours). Then I preshape, rest 15 minutes, shape and in a banetton for 2-3 hours, bake and voila. Great rise, plenty of dough strength and very little active work. The key being a very small amount of yeast (half a tsp or so) for a slow rise. The gluten strength builds by itself.

[RikkiMama]

Thank you, Charlie, for another fascinating and enlightening video.
When I attended 2 day bread making workshops at the San Francisco Baking Institute (school for professional bakers), I was amazed that we made 8-11 kilo batches of dough in big tubs using the stretch & folding method. We dumped all the ingredients, including salt & yeast, into the tubs and mixed everything by hand until no dry flour was visible. Many of the formulas called for 3 stretch & folds during bulk fermentation. Some of the breads were shaped and proofed in the fridge overnight. That was a real eye opener for me to see commercial scale bread making using stretch & fold.
Another of my bread instructors used to say "the dough WANTS to become bread" when making bread using stretch & fold method. Your experiments confirmed he was right. 👍

[zoemetro]

Wow! This is a game changer as I am not a big fan of kneading. Thank you. Also loved how you called the dough balls "little rascals" trying to escape. It will make me smile each time I see my dough rising close to the lid.

[ClintonFerrara]

Every Sunday I make four loafs of bread for my family. 600 grams each. Sourdough. I don’t knead or use a mixer. Stretch and fold every 30 minutes 4 times. An hour or so bulk ferment then divide and shape. It works.
Like you I do enjoy kneading. Feeling the development of the dough is rewarding. I find lifting and stretching a 2400 gram chunk of dough is also rewarding and informative.
I had no idea that chain baker referred to your bracelet. 😂

[sunriseshell]

This goes against everything I know about baking. AND I LOVE IT!

Frequenting r/breadit I keep seeing these "no knead" recipes and the bread that looks perfect. All of that and now seeing this video I'm convinced that this not only will work but may be "the way".

[emkoh]

I’m amazed at how the dough never sticks to your hands and you don’t even have to dust your workbench. Incredible! You must have magic hands ! 😲😁

[Maskln]

This is exactly the way I do my breads, buns, ciabattas etc. nowadays. The only thing I do differently is to use half of the water of the recipe to prepare yudane and use the other half of the water to cool it down before adding the yeast, salt and flour. I am a bit lazy and I hate unnecessary mess that comes with kneading higher hydration dough, so I always liked the no knead method you showed in the early days of your channel and the cold fermentation step is just so much more convenient for planing home bakes. Cheers

[bobthornton]

This sort of channel and content is why I pay for ad-free YouTube! Someone who is passionate, knowledgeable with excellent production, that’s what gets my subscription. Now I’ve just got to watch loads of videos and get baking! Thank you.

[mohammadaboohosseinitabari]

After getting to know you and your channel around a year ago, I started applying methods I learned from you in my routine baking. First I applied the folding to my pizza doughs and they turned out amazing, later I decided that the autolysing and folding is so amazing that my pizza doughs literally no longer need kneading. Later I checked this theory by making a no knead Shokupan and again it was amazing. It was then that I realized kneading is over rated.
Thank you our awesome baker.

[maissthro]

I've done bread most of my life. Your videos are a great fountain of learning material and, in all honesty, good calming voice to accompany with.
I do use both methods, but it much depend on what I'm doing and with how my mood is. Kneading in a bad mood has given me the worst results overall, so I've learned to use the folding method on those cases. One thing on which the folding is specially good is on nut and dry fruits breads: you get a better result by spreading part of the "fills" on the mixed dough and fold it over, and spread a by more. Like making a puff pastry kind of way.

[romystumpy]

My thoughts, after watching many of your bread making videos, I have decided to autolyse the dough, rest and ferment then do the folding method, I didn't realise that bread making was so scientific and and art until I viewed your videos I've learnt so much

[madguitarist]

Chain Baker Ciabatta bread recipe + no knead method = best bread advice ever

[casoblantly]

We really love you in this house man, you've sort of changed our lives. It's been over a year now so we know it's not a fad lol! Thank you for inspiring us to eat better in such a rewarding way.

[Dracu]

Just baked my first no-knead & cold bulk fermented pizza dough ( 70% hydration + 7% olive oil).
I have to admit that I was quite skeptical because of the high olive oil content, but I didn't want to alter my recipe.

Folding: I made 3 folds in the evening and the last fold felt like the first fold of a regular kneaded dough.

Dividing & Shaping: I've noticed the dough was somehow slacker than usual for a 70%'er and I was anticipating some hard time stretching it. Everything else felt the same.

Stretching: dough still slacker. HOWEVER, it was the stretchiest dough I've ever made, you could make a rope out of it and skip it several times, this boy won't break. Stretching was child's play.

Final product: amazing texture & flavour, the pizzas were gone in a matter of minutes.

Thank you!

[TXlabratt]

The biggest/worst hurdle in trying to teach myself how to bake is KNEADING!! For some time, I just wished I didn't have to knead to make bread/pizza/rolls . . and now I can't wait to try your NO KNEAD method/recipes!! I'm greatly encouraged and feel more confident that AT LAST my hours will produce good results!!!!

[SpaceMonkey]

Yes, I recently started experimenting with the no-knead folding method. Have used it to make everything, including rich brioche. It works so well, I have to wonder why we ever kneaded dough at all. 🤷‍♂

[ondrejmitas]

I just fold. Kneading took much time and made big messes. This was a good validation and test.

[jakemiller]

Wow this is pretty eye opening. So essentially the folds during cold bulk fermentation are very slowly and gently “kneading” the dough.

This is so much simpler. I feel like it’s easier to get more consistent.