How many kneads are in a minute? I say 25.

One of the top comments I get from followers is "Thank you for including the number of kneads!" And I get it. I have read thousands of recipes and it is surprising to me how detailed the rest of the recipe can be, but when it comes to the details which would actually help you nail the dough, said details are hard to find. (Thus, the giggle-inducing 'y tho'.)

Now, I'm not trying to complain that much about the recipe creators I flock to when I want a recipe. After all, they just spent all this time making the recipe through trial and error, taking pics or making vids, etc etc. It's a lot, and I get it. It is why I rarely make my own recipes and prefer to be a recipe-enabler by explaining details. Why would I try to do better than the experts when I'm the extraverted big sister who is pretty good at asking the questions everyone else is scared to ask? Indeed, I know my lane, and it is to tell you the nitty gritty details as any self-respecting recipe-enabler should.

Anyway, the time to knead versus the actual number of kneads is often overlooked when I'd argue it is one of the more helpful details to include in a recipe, particularly for new bakers. Because everyone is different, and 1 minute of kneading for a pro looks really different to 1 minute of kneading for someone who can only use one arm (not uncommon, since people often have shoulder problems.)

So, after diligently counting my kneads across hundreds of breads, I can confidently say that 25 kneads per minute is a great starting point. So, for this awesome artisan bread recipe from Harvest and Nourish, the directions are to knead until the dough is smooth, or about 10 minutes, which to me means 250-300 kneads. I tend to throw in a few extra at the end because I like to be an over-achiever, but the lower number never fails. Here's a video breaking down each step with visuals so you can ace those amazing bread recipes like a pro.