verafoster•1mo agoMost Upvoted

TIL that letting your dough rest for 30 minutes after mixing makes it way easier to work with

I was watching an old baker on YouTube last night from a bakery in Chicago and he said to let the dough sit covered for half an hour before even thinking about kneading. I tried it with my usual sourdough recipe and the gluten developed so much smoother. Has anyone else noticed a big difference with rest time?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_nguyen241mo ago

Yo my friend Marco tried this about a month ago after his grandma scolded him for being too rough with his dough. He always just dumped everything in a bowl and went straight to kneading like he was fighting it. She made him stop mid-mix, cover the bowl with a damp towel, and walk away for 45 minutes. When he came back he said the dough actually felt like it had a personality shift - from angry and tight to soft and cooperative. He literally sent me a picture of the finished loaf with a text saying he finally got why she never yelled at her dough.

abby3081mo ago

That Chicago baker definitely knows what he's talking about. My friend Carrie used to skip rest time and her dough would fight back like a cat in a bath. She finally let it sit for 35 minutes covered with a damp towel and said it was like working with a whole different batch of dough. The gluten just relaxed into itself and she could actually shape her loaves without swearing at the counter.

noah8801mo ago

Puts a bigger spin on why we all need to just slow down in life. Same thing happens with everything from letting meat rest after cooking to giving yourself a minute to breathe before answering a tough question. The world is one big "let it sit for a bit" lesson we keep ignoring.