Bread dough sticks to the board even after 10 minutes kneeding

[CherryTreeBloom]

Ingredients Allinson’s flour, 2 teaspoons yeast, 325ml water, tablespoon of olive oil, small amount of rock salt.

I do the initial mixing in the bowl using a wooden spoon. Then knead it with one hand on the board.

I have not been adding flour to the board or whilst kneading, because a lot of websites say that you shouldn’t.

The mixture sticks to the board and my fingers even after 10 minutes.

Do I just need to scrape it all off?

Maybe I shouldn’t be adding the olive oil?

Or should I be adding flour after all?

I would never knead on a wooden board, dough much more likely to stick. Just use the work top or get a marble board
That is no where near kneaded enough, is the flour a proper bread flour ie a strong flour. Ordinary soft flour won’t ever develop enough gluten to give a smooth ball of dough.
one handed kneading is possible but is a learned technique and you may need to practice a lot more

Thanks so much for your advice!

It’s 500g of Country Grain Bread Flour, with Dove instant yeast.

I do have a marble board. I’ll try using that instead!

It does get kneaded for another 5 minutes after it’s been left for an hour, in the recipe I’m following.

When I tried it before it didn’t rise much either. This might be because it’s not packed in to the right tray, I just have it in a rectangular glass Tupperware with quite high walls but it’s not a tight fit.

I’m new to bread making, as you might guess!

I should say it DOES turn into a smooth and non-sticky ball of dough, before it goes in the oven. But that happens after an hour or more of proving and the second round of kneading.

I knead one handed in my bowl til the dough comes together in a ball. So I would still have your dough in my bowl.
kneading is to develop the gluten, and you need to be really hard on the dough, totally opposite to pastry or scones which need gentle hands.
some people find it easier to pull the dough apart and then quarter turn and push it together and then pull it apart again. Be really rough, you should be worn out after ten mins kneading and feel it in your hands and upper arms.

the flour sounds like bread four, so you just need to knead a lot longer and a lot harder. It won’t rise if the gluten isn’t developed

Just looked up the flour, it has a lot of grains that will make the dough heavy, so it may never rise to a light fluffy bread, but stay quite dense.

And it needs to be cooked in a metal tin, or just on a metal baking tray as a free form loaf. Glass is fine for mixing and proving, but no good for baking bread as the heat transmission is compromised

Do you activate the yeast first? I've found that helps.

I put the instant yeast in some warm water, cover for 5 mins and make sure it's bubbling nicely before adding it to the flour.

You could oil your marble lightly to help with the sticking. And if you're new to bread making, a mix of white and whole meal flour is often more obedient?'. Have you got a bench scraper? If you have, instead of kneading, you can scrape and fold the dough until it comes together.

Oh, and metal tins are better! Have you got a cast iron lidded casserole, like a Le Creuset?

I want to come to your house and help you with your bread!

Thanks for the advice! I had always been using glass before.

This time I put it on baking paper on top of a metal pizza tray and it’s come out much better!

Not as well as that!

I’ve been adding the yeast to the water and giving it a stir, but it doesn’t fizz. The water is from the tap so possibly too cold, and I’m not leaving it as long as five minutes.

On the plus side I’ve reduced the amount of salt because I read that it kills yeast. And
the first loaf I made was just too salty.

Thanks for the advice! I’ll try that with the marble next time as well as mixing flours.

No, I don’t have a bench scraper. The yeast was in much better shape after proving, though, and I was able to bash it about and fold it in on itself…

Hah thanks for the offer! This thread is helping :).

Yes I do have a very heavy Staub casserole pot which I could use next time!

Without further ado here are some
more photos.

It came out better than previous attempts, though as usual I had to cut myself a bit wedge of it before it had properly cooled down…

Photos

Not bad at all, looks very edible indeed.

That looks as if it's risen OK ! And that you have what we call "Quality Control Mice" in your house too. I really recommend a bench scraper for dealing with bread dough. And something to try because you've got a cast iron pot-and if you don't mind white bread for a change- this one involves no kneading at all! www.gimmesomeoven.com/no-knead-bread/

What setting is your oven on? My loaves spread out rather than rise on the fan setting so I changed to top and bottom heat - success.

Interesting, I’ll give that a try as well!

I’ve had it on about 230-240c, fan assisted.

Thanks, I’ll give that a try too!

Do you keep the lid on, when baking in a cast iron pot?

@CherryTreeBloom Lid on for 30 minutes then off to crisp up. I love making this-it's fun to do something different! It's an American recipe, so it's in cups.

For wet doughs, you are better off using wet hands to handle the dough. A bench scraper makes it easier - anything wide and flat. Also, if you're struggling to knead a dough on a board, as others have said, leaving it in the bowl is easier.

All dough is easier to handle after it's been left a while to absorb flour.