Kneading Times and Speeds - Stand Mixer

Kneading Speeds

It is important to use only Speed 2, never higher or lower, when kneading yeast dough.  

Kneading Times

When kneading dough, instead of relying on a set time, focus on the dough's texture and feel. Properly kneaded dough should be smooth, slightly tacky (but not sticky), and elastic. When you press it with your finger, it should spring back. Depending on the dough, this can take anywhere from 2 to 15 minutes of kneading. 

Avoid over-kneading, which can make the dough tough. Over-kneaded dough feels tight and difficult to work with.

The type of flour, amount of water, and any added ingredients can all impact kneading time.

• Type of Flour: Different recipes call for different types of flour. The flour choice impacts the structure of the dough. In general, more stiff doughs require less kneading time than softer, more slack doughs. Whole grain flours also impact kneading time. They form dense doughs, and the whole grain components can actually shred apart the protein formed during kneading, so less kneading time is recommended here. 
• Hydration Level: High-hydration doughs (doughs with a higher water ratio to flour) can take longer to knead because they are more sticky and challenging to work with. These doughs often require a combination of kneading, stretching, and folding techniques or may have longer fermentation times to strengthen the dough. 
• Enriched Doughs: Doughs enriched with ingredients like butter, eggs, or sugar (such as brioche or challah) often require more kneading time. These ingredients can soften the dough and inhibit gluten formation, so additional kneading is necessary to develop enough gluten structure.

​ ​

​