2nd Batch December 28, 2010

December 28, 2010
Second Batch

Whole wheat rolls, plain, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds. Results shown above. The feedback from the family was definitely to make more without seeds -- the plain ones without the egg wash were everyone's favorite.

For the first time, Dominique joined in and helped to add ingredients and, most importantly, with the kneading! Dominique learned a new word in a most tactile fashion. She said, "Wouldn't it be cool if we started our own bread store and bakery? I could tell a story about how I started baking with my Dad when I was just 8 years old!"

Here's Dominique kneading for the first time.

Dominique: It takes about ten minutes to knead. The kneading strategy I learned was . . . fold it, turn it about half way round then finally push it! The picture shows me with one palm on top of another and pushing the dough. This was my first and best experience.

The dough changes from very sticky at the beginning to much harder and elastic at the end of the kneading. The glutens form as the kneading progresses and are necessary to trap the gases generated when the dough rises in the next stage.