Sometimes kneading dough is required in a recipe. First time dough kneading can be terrifying, especially when there is a deadline to the bake goods. Here is a video that demonstrates this step.
Place the dough on a well-floured work surface. Then grab the side of the dough furthest away from you and fold it toward yourself.
Using your body weight, fold the dough in half and push the dough into itself. This might require a lot of flour until dough is worked in. Be careful not to add too much flour as this will through the dough off.
Continue to grab the dough on the other side and fold in half. Repeat this process until the dough is smooth , silky and elastic. This process could take up to 10 minutes depending on flour and size. Dough should be very smooth with small air bubbles just below the surface of the skin.
When complete fold into a loose ball. Have an oiled bowl near by and place dough inside. Place a damp cloth or plastic wrap over the top of the bowl to keep the dough from drying out and becoming hard.
Dough will need to rise according to recipe instructions.
Video courtesy of istockphoto / image via chefinmykitchen
