Hello -
I have a simple question regarding kneading a focaccia bread dough. I'm experimenting with a focaccia recipe by Nancy Sliverton that incorporates a couple unique yet very traditional methods to achieve an airy, crisp focaccia. I think her recipe includes some smart observations on traditional, Italian focaccia techniques that she observed in Italy, which could yield very incredible results at home. Like many bread recipes these days, this recipe calls for using an electric mixer to perform the bulk of the kneading, but I want to knead it by hand - just something I like to do first whenever I learn a new bread type/technique so I can get the feel for the dough and how it reacts.
In short, the recipe instructs you to run the mixer until the dough... "is smooth and well-formed, and starts to pull away from the bowl, 6 to 8 minutes. Note that the dough will not pull so much that it "cleans" the bowl. Do I mimic this result by just hand kneading until I achieve this consistency, as I often do? My main concern is that I'll use the wrong kneading technique and not get the light, airy, large airhole crumb that is my desired result. Should I do the stretch and fold?
Thanks for any suggestions.