How should dough look while it is being kneaded?

I've found that bread recipes are fairly flexible - as long as you get the dough to the right consistency.

If it's too dry, it won't rise well and it will taste dry after you cook it.

If it's too wet, it will be too hard to work with and handle.

You want the dough as moist as it can be, without being too sticky.

Here's some dough that is too sticky:

See how the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl? This dough is too wet. So you will want to add a tablespoon of flour as it is mixing. Wait a bit for the flour to be incorporated, and then judge if more flour is needed.

You want the dough to look like this:

The dough isn't too dry, but it's not sticking to the sides of the bowl anymore.

Now, if your dough is dry (it's hard to mix, not all of the flour is incorporated, etc.), then you'll want to add more water. Add one tablespoon of water and wait a bit for it to get mixed in. Keep adding water until the dough is just right. If the dough gets too sticky, then add flour, as described above.


This tip works for any yeast recipe - rolls, bread, pizza crust, etc. As long as you get the dough to the right consistency, it will turn out great!