My good friend Trevor sent me this article written by food-science expert Harold McGee. Turns out the standard 10-15 minute kneading stage, once thought essential to well-made bread, might not be so important after all. Go figure.
I wonder if any old school bakers out there will bristle at the news. I don't think so, not if the popularity of Jim Lahey's No-Knead bread method is any indication. Better bread with less work--what's not to like? Besides, McGee states pretty clearly that much depends on the kind of bread you intend to bake. High hydration rustic white loaves require less muscle, it's true. But tight-crumbed sandwich loaves and whole grain bread apparently still benefit from at least a few minutes kneading, leaving tradition and precedent somewhat in tact. Good news for those of us who (a) enjoy kneading from time to time; and (b) have at some point pontificated 'expertly' on the need to knead thoroughly. Number this baker happily among those in the former category and, unfortunately, lump him also in with the latter.
By the way, the poor aspiring baker forced to suffer my pontification? You guessed it. Trevor. The same good friend who sent me the article in question. Coincidence? I think not.
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