Good sandwich bread is dense enough to keep from falling apart when you slice it, but not so dense that it becomes dry and crumbly. Here’s a trick to help avoid under-kneading and over-kneading your homemade sandwich bread dough.
Photo by tracy ducasse.
Kneading dough strengthens the gluten strands that give bread its structure when baked. If you don’t knead it enough the bread is still edible, but it can fall apart when you try to slice it. If you knead it too much, the bread can lack the moisture needed to keep it held together. Emma Christensen at The Kitchn shares her tip for finding the happy medium:
Check your dough frequently during kneading — don’t just go by the time in the recipe. If the dough is smooth, holds its shape in a ball, and springs back when you poke it, it’s ready! If it puddles in your hand or feels limp, keep kneading. If it starts to feel very tight in your hands, stop kneading.
Christensen also notes that it’s best to knead dough for sandwich bread with your hands and not a stand mixer because it can easily over-knead the dough. You can find more tips for making perfectly sliceable sandwich bread at the link below.
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Sandwich Bread [The Kitchn]
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