How to test if your bread dough is ready? 如何知道你的麵包麵團是否搓好了呢？

Do you use your hands or a stand mixer to knead your bread dough?  你做麵包時喜歡用手搓還是用攪拌機？

No matter which method you use, you still need to know when you have kneaded enough and should move onto the next step for fermentation. I personally like to use the “Window Pane Test”.  It’s easy and reliable.

無論你使用哪種方法，仍然需要知道何時搓夠了，可以應該進入下一步發酵過程。我每次都是靠用薄膜測試，又容易又準確。

WindowPane test 薄膜測試

First step in making bread 

1. Prepare a timer.
2. Use a scale to measure all ingredients. The smaller the amount of an ingredient, the more accurate you have to measure it. E.g. the difference between 3g salt and 4g is 25% already! Follow the recipe to put the initials ingredients into a bowl. I usually leave out oil or butter at this stage.
3. Start your timer and use low speed to mix for about 1 min (or hand mix) until most of the powder are sticked together.

做麵包的第一步

1. 準備一個計時器。
2. 用電子磅衡量所有成分，分量越少的材料要越準確，例如3克和4克的鹽已是25%的分別，你的電子磅最好有0.1克 或 0.5克 的量度單位。按照食譜將縮第一組的成分放入鍋中。（我通常在此階段不會加入牛油，只是把牛油的份量量好後放入雪櫃備用）。
3. 啟動你的計時器，使用攪拌機低速混合大約一分鐘（或手動混合）直到大部分粉末粘在一起。

Electronic scale. The one on the right can measure in units of 0.1 gram.   電子磅, 右邊的那個可以以0.1克為單位進行測量。

Tips: yeast should be put together with sugar, and separate from salt and spices. As these would inhibit the yeast activity. 小貼士：酵母應該和糖放在一起，並與鹽和香料分開，因為這些會抑制酵母的活性。

 

Step Two 第2步

Turn your stand mixer to medium speed (around #3) to knead your dough. After about 7 mins, your dough should be a bit shiny. Total kneading time since start of timer is about 8 mins.

把攪拌機的速度加快一點 (大約3號)，搓大約7分鐘至粉團有點光滑。由啟動計時器開始到此刻的總揉合時間約為8分鐘。

Step Three 第3步

Take butter out from fridge, use your finger to press and flatten the butter bit by bit and throw into the mixer in a few mins. See my video clip below.

從雪櫃中取出牛油，在幾分鐘之內用手指將牛油一點一點按壓，放入鍋中，請參閱下面的短片。

Step Four 第4步

Total kneading time should be around 15 mins now. Stop your machine and pause your timer to do the Window Pane Test.  This means to pull a small piece of dough gently in all directions and see if it would break or not.  If you can pull the small piece into a thin layer of window pane without easily tearing it (see photos below – photo credit: The Bread Kitchen), the dough is ready.  If not, continue to knead for a minute or two and try to do the test again, repeat until the dough passes the test.

由啟動計時器開始到此刻的總揉合時間約為15分鐘。關調攪拌機，暫停你的計時器並試做薄膜測試：把一小塊麵團輕輕向四面拉薄，看看它是否會輕易斷裂。 如果你可以把它拉成薄薄的一層而不易撕裂 (請參閱下圖, 照片來源: The Bread Kitchen)，麵團就搓好了。不然，繼續揉一兩分鐘，然後再測試，繼續重複直至測試成功。

This dough has failed the window pane test and need to keep kneading. 這麵團未能通過薄膜測試，要繼續搓.

This dough has passed the window pane test. 這麵團可以了.

Window pane test on a whole wheat flour dough. 全麥粉的麵團測試.

Kneading by Hand 手搓麵包

For those who don’t have a stand mixer at home and want to knead by hand, please refer to the below video by The Bread Kitchen.

若你沒有座枱式攪拌機而用手揉搓的，請看下面 The Bread Kitchen 的短片。

More Bread Making Tips and Recipes 更多麵包製作技巧和食譜

For more information on bread making tips and recipes, see my other posts here.  I will keep adding more in my future posts.

想看更多麵包製作的技巧和食譜，請參閱我的其他文章，在這裡我將會繼續添加更多內容。