What happens if you don't knock back dough?

If the dough isn't punched down, the carbon dioxide will continue to be released, which can cause big, uneven air pockets in your bread. Additionally, if you don't knock back the dough, it can lead to a weaker gluten structure, meaning your bread may not maintain the desired shape .

What type of yeast does Paul Hollywood use?

The idea of yeast may seem scary to first-time bakers. However, instant yeast is easy to buy, store and use. I always use 'fast-action' or 'easy-blend' yeast.

What is the technique of kneading dough?

Lightly dust the work surface with plain flour. Lay your room-temperature dough on the surface. Stretch it away from you with the heel or knuckles of one hand and fold it back over the top towards you. Repeat the stretch and fold process again and again for 10 minutes.

How long to proof bread in Paul Hollywood?

Paul Hollywood's White bloomer bread Preparation time: 20 minutes + 2-4 hours proving. Cooking time: 40 minutes. Total time: 1 hour + 2-4 hours proving.

What yeast do professional bakers use?

Fresh yeast, sometimes called cake yeast or compressed yeast , is a block of fresh yeast cells that contains about 70% moisture and is commonly used by baking professionals. It's pale beige in color, soft and crumbly with a texture similar to a soft pencil eraser, and has a stronger yeast smell than dry yeast.

How to keep bread from sinking in the middle?

For recipes like banana bread, lemon loaf, or pound cake, your best bet is to bake in a metal loaf pan . Metal is a quick and efficient conductor of heat. This helps to ensure your recipe will cook through the center and not collapse.

Is pizza dough better the longer you let it rise?

The general rule is to let pizza dough rise until it has doubled in size , which could take anywhere between 1-1.5 hours. This will give the yeast time to activate and create a light, airy texture in the crust. However, I personally prefer cold-fermenting the dough for 48 hours for extra flavor.

What happens if you use too much yeast in pizza dough?

Too little yeast and your dough won't rise enough, and the pizza base will taste bland. Use too much yeast and your dough may over-ferment . Tell-tale signs are your dough expanding too much or tasting and smelling a bit sour, with an almost alcoholic aftertaste (the yeast produces alcohol as it ferments).

What happens if you bake bread after the first rise?

“While you have some wiggle room with the first rise, the second rise needs to be more accurate to get a nice full loaf,” Maggie explains. If baked too soon or too late, loaves can collapse and have a dense, gummy center . “There are so many factors that affect rise time, so exact time will vary for every baker.

How do you knead dough like a professional?

Lightly flour your hands, work surface, and dough. Using the heels of your hands, gently push the dough away from you in a rocking motion, alternating hands as you go . You want to put some energy into it, to really stretch out the dough. The dough may get sticky as you knead, and that's fine.

What machine kneads bread?

The only winning bread machine we tested that had two kneading paddles was the Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus , which proved necessary due to its elongated pan.

Why is no knead bread so good?

The method uses a long rise instead of kneading to align the dough's gluten molecules with each other so as to produce a strong, elastic network, resulting in long, sticky strands . The automatic alignment is possible because of the wetness of the dough, which makes the molecules more mobile.

Techniques | Paul Hollywood (2024)

Techniques

There are a few specific techniques required for bread-making. Taking care to get these correct can make all the difference to your loaf.

Mixing

Always put the flour in your bowl first, then add the salt and the yeast to opposite sides of the bowl. This is important as the salt can kill the yeast. Next add fat if you are using and then add three-quarters of the water. Then using your hands, ‘scrunch’ all the ingredients together, incorporating all the flour and adding more water until you have a soft dough. This can be very messy, sticky and wet. However, it will all come together when you start the kneading process.

Kneading

The kneading process helps work the gluten in the flour to create a smooth, elastic dough. When kneading, you need to stretch the dough out and then fold it back on itself and flatten it, and then repeat the process, making sure you turn the dough round between stretches. It can take between 5 and 10 minutes until the consistency of the dough changes and it becomes smoother and more elastic. Eventually, it will begin to hold together in ball and develop a soft skin.

Rising

Put the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film or a clean tea towel to protect it from draughts that might cause a skin to form. Leave it anywhere in the kitchen. The dough needs to rise until it is at least doubles in size. When it is fully grown it will start to develop crease marks on top and it may start to collapse on itself. Do not leave it any longer than this. You can let the dough rise for a second time at this point if you wish.

Knocking back the dough

After rising, the dough needs to be ‘knocked back’. This process makes it easier to handle and shape and helps create a uniform texture to the dough. Take the dough out of the bowl and put it on a lightly floured surface and fold it repeatedly in on itself using the heels of your hands, until it is smooth and all the air is knocked out of it.

Shaping the dough

You can experiment with different shapes, choosing anything from a simple round loaf to a decorative plait.

Proving

During this final stage, the shaped bread is left to rise before it can be baked. Covering the dough during this stage with a plastic bag helps prevent the dough from forming a skin. You can tell when the dough is ready by gently pressing it and seeing if it springs back. If the dough starts to crease and slump slightly, it has over-proved. If this is the case, knock it back and shape the dough again, and let it prove once more.

Baking and cooling

When your bread is ready, it should be a good brown colour with a crisp crust. To check if it’s ready, take it out of the oven and tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow, it’s ready; if it doesn’t, put it back and check again in 5 minutes. After baking your bread, it should be allowed to cool completely on a wire rack before eating. Whilst it cools it will let out all its steam and finish cooking.