Folks are overkneading their sourdough like crazy

I see people on here saying they knead for 15 minutes straight when really all you need is a few stretch and folds over a couple hours. I switched to just 3 sets of folds last month and my crumb opened up way nicer. Has anyone else noticed this making a difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

johnflores2mo ago

Depends on the flour and hydration though. Some doughs need more work than others.

jennifer9652mo ago

Used to be a HARDCORE overkneader myself. I'd stand there and slap the dough around for like 20 minutes then wonder why my bread was tough and dense. Switched to three stretch and folds over 2 hours last week and it's like a completely different bread. My crumb went from tight little holes to big open pockets that actually hold butter.

valh321mo ago

20 minutes? Girl I am shocked you didn't burn out your stand mixer or your shoulder doing that every time. That's like running a marathon with your arms. I can't believe you stuck with it long enough to even notice the problem, most people would have just quit baking altogether. Three stretch and folds is such a game changer though, right? It feels like cheating but the bread comes out so much better. And that butter soaking into big open holes is the whole reason I even bother making bread at home.