I am doing a piece of coursework on bread, and need to know why we need each section of the making of the bread: -mixing -kneading -prooving -knock back -shape/mould -proove again -bake

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

Answers

Mixing: incorporates all the ingredients Kneading: Establishes a glutin network so that the bread will have the right texture when it rises. First Rise: With most yeasts this is necessary because of the level of activity. It gives the yeast a chance to do it's thing once and start to tire out. Knock Back: Allows you to re-knead the dough a little bit so that the air from the first rise can be gotten rid of and the shaping can be done Shaping - The right shape combined with the right pan will make a big difference in the bread. If the bread is shaped improperly for its bulk or its pan, it can rise over the pan or end up caving in and losing the desired texture Second Rise: Allows the carbon dioxide bubbles to be formed again by the yeast so that the bread is soft and chewy and not hard. It's done after the shaping so that these air bubbles are kept during the baking process.

Hope this helped.

-- Anonymous, September 27, 2000