Knead

Kneading is working a dough by repeatedly pressing, folding, and stretching it, usually with the heels of your hands. For yeast bread, the motion develops gluten, the network of proteins that gives dough elasticity and lets it trap gas and rise. A typical rhythm is to push the dough away with your palms, fold it back toward you, give it a quarter turn, and repeat until the dough turns smooth, springy, and slightly tacky.

How much you knead depends on the goal. Yeast breads need vigorous, sustained kneading, often eight to ten minutes by hand, to build strong gluten for a chewy, well-risen loaf. Biscuit and pastry doughs are the opposite: knead them just a few gentle turns, because overworking makes them tough. A quick test for bread dough is the windowpane check, stretching a piece thin enough to see light through without tearing.