Before I have found this site I always thaught that long kneading develops gluten, which is crucial for keeping the gas bubbles in my bread. Chef Jacob says it is beter to handle the dough as little as possible, and you need the high hydration dough, and it works. The extreme example is the no knead bread technique that gives the best results in my case ( this fact seems a bit weird to me). Now Teresa Greenway, the great baker, says that actually LOW hydration helps to develop the gluten network better, so she starts with low and gradually adds more watter with each stretch and fold! Her loafs are always spectacular so there must be a bit of true.
To sum it up I am confused. The gluten development is my main concern since I dont have the access to real bread flour here in Poland, and I really want to master it as much as possible. What do you think of double hydration theory? If it works, please explain me why.
