Kneading Dough for Dummies

1. It's hard to get the proportions of flour and water "right" before the dough has been kneaded. I try to start with a moist dough, and dry it out on the counter as I knead it by rolling it in a thin layer of flour. This dries out the surface of the dough, so I try to alternate between "drying" it and kneading it, until it's roughly uniform in dryness / stickiness.

2. Kneading dough "stretches" internal fibers, so it's important to realize that kneading is more than just mashing it. Try collecting all the dough in a mound, flattening the top with your palm, and then pushing down and outward in two directions with the base of your hand. Don't push too far or the dough might tear; just go a few inches, then re-fold the dough and stretch it again.

3. The dryness and consistency of the dough has a strong impact on how it rises, and the resulting texture when it is baked. The more you stretch it while kneading, the more elastic it becomes. The more you rub in flour as you knead it, the dryer and less sticky it becomes. The "right" choice varies from person to person, but I tend to call it "done" when it feels like smooth soft clay, doesn't stick in my hand, and holds a ball shape if I toss it up and down a few times.

4. Sometimes it's easier to knead after briefly letting the dough rise (the dough has lost some excess water, and also has spread out a bit from the action of the yeast). If you find that kneading your freshly mixed dough unmanageable, try quickly "mashing" it for a few minutes just to get the consistency roughly where you want it, then let it rise in a warm oven for ten minutes. I find this makes it a lot easier to knead afterward (and the feeling of warm dough in your hands can be quite pleasant :P)