Slap and Fold

A hand-kneading method for wet, sticky doughs. You pick the dough up, slap the bottom of it onto the counter, stretch the part you're holding toward you, and fold it back over the top, then turn it and repeat. It builds gluten quickly in high-hydration dough without adding extra flour to the bench, and the dough goes from slack and sticky to smooth and springy in a few minutes.

By Henry Hunter · Updated October 1, 2026

Henry's notes from the bench

• Don't flour the counter and don't fight the stickiness. Keep your hands moving and quick, and within a few minutes the dough starts letting go of the bench on its own.
• If your arms get tired, rest the dough for five minutes. The gluten keeps organizing while you take a break.