Pro tip: letting bread dough rest longer made a huge difference for me

I read in a King Arthur flour blog post that giving dough a 20 minute rest after mixing lets the gluten relax and makes it way easier to handle. Tried it with my whole wheat loaf this week and the crumb was way softer than usual. Anyone else noticed a big change from just waiting a bit?

2 comments

2 Comments

aaron67719d ago

Holy crap, only 20 minutes? I let my whole wheat dough rest for almost an hour last weekend and it was like working with a different dough entirely. The gluten was so relaxed I could actually shape it without it fighting back the whole time. I always rushed before but now I'm never skipping that rest period, it's a total game changer.

caseys3019d ago

A buddy of mine who teaches art at the school down the road tried this with his rye dough last month. He told me he used to just mix it, shape it, and toss it in the oven right away, but the loaves always came out dense and flat. He let it rest for 45 minutes after kneading, and he said the dough went from a stiff lump to something soft and cooperative. The bread ended up with nice air pockets and a chewy crust. He's been bragging about it to anyone who'll listen, including me three times now.