If you're in a cooking class or private party that I happen to be assisting at The Chopping Block, you will more than likely hear me say, "The best tools in the kitchen are your hands!"
In my opinion, this is especially important when it comes to making dough and that goes for any type of dough. The doughs I have learned to craft by hand range from pasta, focaccia, biscuits and bao buns.
Instead of telling you step by step how to make and knead dough (Shelley also has a video for that), I'm going to give you my perspective and share my experiences with you.
I believe that making anything with your bare hands transfers your energy into what you are using them to create. It also is quite a feeling of accomplishment and the appreciation for the finished product is unbeatable. Since I have started as a class assistant a little over a year ago, I have learned so many techniques from many different chef instructors, but one of my ultimate favorite techniques is kneading all types of dough by hand.
One of the tools that a lot of chefs and home cooks use is a food processor, and doughs are among the many things you can make using a food processor. I have no space for that tool in my small studio kitchen, and so when it comes to making doughs I use my favorite tools: my hands of course! Even if I had a food processor, I would still use my hands.
Buttermilk biscuits are one of my favorite doughs to make, period.
It's so easy to do, fun to do, and rewarding when you are enjoying them! Put some biscuit dough on top of some seasonal fruit for a cobbler, and that's all I need in life.
Try our easy biscuit and fruit cobbler recipe for a delicious summer dessert, and I highly recommend that you use your hands, if you never have. The work you put into making dough will definitely be appreciated by others you share your creation with, if you have any left to share!
If you want to learn how to make doughs and knead them, we have a wide variety of classes that include making doughs: Pies, Tarts and Crostatas, Pasta Workshop, Neapolitan Pizzeria, the list goes on!
