when is dough sufficiently worked? when overworked?
Hi there; I've just joined the list, having just started baking bread from scratch using Richard Bertinet's method. I'm afraid I have a very basic question that I'm hoping someone will have the patience to answer for me. As I'm kneading or working the dough, how can I tell when it's ready to set to rise? For that matter, how can I tell when I've overworked it? I'm just using basic white bread dough (flour, yeast, salt, water). Sometimes it turns out beautifully after working the dough for just a few minutes; other times after 45 minutes of working the dough (!!!) it's still VERY sticky (and seems to be getting stickier, if possible!) When I've had the stickiness, the dough is certainly responsive and feels alive in my hands -- it's just impossibly sticky. After 45 minutes of working it, I've given up and set it to rise and it does double within roughly an hour. But on baking, seems more doughy than usual. What gives? I'm being very careful about weighing the ingredients. All the yeast I've used is from the same jar (active dry yeast). If any of you can help me out I would really appreciate it -- thank you!
Karen