Kneading by hand

Allow yourself enough space on the work surface; clear any clutter out of the way so you have room to work. Avoid putting any flour on the work surface as this extra flour will be incorporated into the dough and cause it to tighten, making your finished loaf dense. Don’t be afraid of a sticky dough: some of the very best loaves are made with a sticky dough and as you knead you will soon find it gets easier and less sticky.

Place the ball of rough dough onto your work surface. Using the heel of your right hand push the dough out and forward diagonally to the right (1), flip the stretched part back onto the ball of dough (2), and repeat the action with the heel of your left hand, stretching it diagonally out to the left (3). To begin with the dough won’t move very far without breaking as you stretch. The more you knead the further it will begin to stretch. As the dough becomes smoother and more elastic turn the ball of dough slightly after every right and left push.