Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Breads – Is kneading necessary? Yes, for the Indian Breads (rotis)

I just read in today’s article in NYT that breads really don’t need kneading. And, that is for the kinds you get in bakeries and the ones we use at our dinner tables. Whatever the case I had always thought that more kneading means better bread. The article says not really.

If you are using bread for sandwiches, then the really fine flour needs some bit of keading because ‘homemade bread in the 1970s was modeled on English pan loaves, with a tight, even, fine-grained interior ideal for tidy sandwiches’. These were the words used in the article. But if you need crusty, light bread as long as the dough is wet and loose you can actually get the results without having to knead.

It is totally different for Indian breads though. Indian home made breads do need a lot of kneading. I don’t use any baking soda or oil or any other additive. The only way I have found to get that fluffy, light roti is to knead and also let the dough sit for a few hours. The Indian bread’s dough also needs enough moisture for a soft roti.

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