Working with short Dough

To work at a reasonable production speed, the dough should be somewhat elastic so that it does not break as it is molded and fit into pans, but, as previously discussed, it should not be too soft. When making the dough, use the dough hook of the mixer at low speed and mix just until combined. Remember, overmixing will incorporate too much air. Before you start working with chilled short dough, knead it with your hands until it is smooth. This will minimize cracking around the edges when you roll it out and help prevent it from breaking as it is shaped. Use bread flour to roll out the dough, but only the minimum amount needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the table. Add new dough, cold and firm from the refrigerator, as needed to the scraps from the batch you are working with.