Mixing it Up: Unconventional Methods for Perfect Dough Consistency

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Getting the perfect dough consistency for baking is no easy feat. You keep kneading for a long time till your arms ache, but each time, it seems like you’re dealing with a sticky mess that has a mind of its own.

Well, what if I tell you that I’ve unlocked the secret to the perfect dough? While my methods might seem unconventional to you, they’re all tried and tested by yours truly.

To keep you in the loop, I’ll walk you through all of my methods and tell you why they work the way they do.

1- Use Icy Water, Not Room Temperature Water

Room temperature might be your friend when using eggs or butter for baking, but when it comes to water, it’s better to go cold.

Ice cold water slows down the development of gluten while making a dough, giving you a softer and more manageable consistency. It also stops the dough from getting too sticky, which makes your kneading task much easier.

Before your next pizza or bread loaf, grab some ice cubes, drop them in a cup of water, and give it a go!

2- Oil Your Hands

We’ve all grown up believing that the best way to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands is to cover them with flour. However, I’m here to put this theory to sleep.

Flour dries your dough, giving you a brittle result. For a hydrated and pliable dough that kneads easily, use oil on your hands instead.

As a bonus, oil is much less messy than flour, so you’ll get to keep your kitchen clean. You can use olive oil or any type you have sitting in your pantry.

3- Try the Stretch-and-Fold Technique

Instead of kneading indefinitely, you can try the stretch-and-fold technique while mixing your dough. After putting all the ingredients together, leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

Then, wet your hands and stretch one side of the dough, folding it over onto itself. Rotate the dough around and do the same from the other sides.

Repeat this cycle a few times, giving the dough a 30-minute nap after each stretch.

While this method takes a longer time, it strengthens the dough and builds gluten more efficiently. In the end, you’ll get an elastic and airy dough that bakes beautifully.

4- Spritz Water, Don’t Pour

If your recipe demands water with flour, I recommend you use a spray bottle to add it instead of pouring it into the bowl.

Doing so will help the water distribute evenly throughout the dough, and you won’t have to deal with annoying dry pockets or wet spots.

In turn, this gives you better control over the consistency of the dough and helps you achieve perfect results.

5- Try the Windowpane Test

After you’re done with the dough, you can make sure it has the right consistency and gluten development using a simple test.

Cut a small piece of the dough and gently stretch it between your fingers. If it stretches into a thin translucent window without tearing, you can be proud of yourself because your dough is perfect.

However, if it tears once you stretch it, it needs more kneading or folding because it’s not strong or elastic enough.

6- Add a Bit of Potato

I warned you my methods were unconventional, didn’t I?

Instead of using potatoes for the usual french fries plate, you can use it to up your dough consistency game.

Boil a small potato, mash it using a fork, and mix it up with your dough. Believe it or not; the starch in the potato will keep your dough soft and moist, which will make it easier for you to knead it.

That said, you need to leave the potato to cool down completely before putting it in your dough. Any unnecessary warmth can affect the yeast and give you dough that doesn’t rise.

Final Thoughts

I know the challenge of making a perfect dough better than anyone, but over the years, I’ve tried a few unconventional methods to up my game. Against all odds, they’ve worked!

Using icy water, oiling your hands, and trying the stretch-and-fold technique will give you the moist and elastic dough you long for. And to make sure its consistency is perfect, you can try the windowpane test.

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