Maison Fare - Mixing & Kneading by Hand

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Add water

Weigh out 237g (1 cup or 237 mL) of water, around 100°F temp (same as pre-ferment step), into your mixing bowl or container with the pâte fermentée.

If you're moving to a bigger bowl, the water can help you loosen the overnight dough before transferring it.

Weigh out 395g (1 1/4 cups or 395mL) of water, around 100°F temp (same as pre-ferment step), into your mixing bowl or container with the pâte fermentée.

If you're moving to a bigger bowl, the water can help you loosen the overnight dough before transferring it.

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Add Flour & Combine

Add the flour container labeled “B” or “Pâton” into your mixing bowl. Combine the water, pâte fermentée, and dry flour with your hand or a tool until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy mass.

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Start Kneading

Find a clean, dry work surface roughly 3×3’ in size or greater. Use your hand or a spatula to loosen the dough from the bowl, move it to the work surface, and start kneading.

This dough will be sticky at first but will change rapidly as you knead it. We recommend the “Slap and Fold” method pioneered by Richard Bertinet.

Do slap and folds for 5 minutes, then let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

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Re-Gather & Keep Kneading

Use a dough scraper or spatula to re-gather the dough back into a ball and do another round of slap and folds for 5 minutes, re-gathering as needed. Give the dough another 5 minute rest, then go to the next step.

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Windowpane Test

Bakers use the windowpane test to check to see if the dough has been kneaded long enough to ensure a proper rise in the oven.

Use your fingers to pinch some dough and stretch it up. You want to see that the dough doesn’t tear easily and can form a strong, taut “sheet” that you can see light through. If it tears easily, go back to the previous step for another round of slap & folds followed by a 5 minute rest.

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Successful Windowpane

Once you achieve a windowpane, your dough is strong enough to be transferred to the rising container for its main rise.

Further steps will vary based on the baker's skills, schedule, and desired outcome. Choose below.