How To Do the Windowpane Test for Dough

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Learn how to do the windowpane test for dough. This quick and easy trick will tell you if you’ve kneaded your dough enough by testing the dough’s strength and elasticity.

For many new bakers–myself included, 20 years ago when I was first learning how to bake bread–knowing how the dough should look and feel after kneading was a mystery.

I heard a variety different ways to describe properly kneaded dough: “soft,” “jiggly,” or “no longer sticky.” And I often came across vague tests like “the poke test” where you poke the dough and hope that it springs back within two seconds.

Even though that language and the poke test are relevant, they lack context for new bakers.

Luckily, the windowpane test for dough is a simple trick to determine if you’ve kneaded your dough enough.

With this simple test, you can jump one of the main hurdles that trips up new bakers: how to know if you’ve kneaded your dough enough.

What is the windowpane test for dough?

In short, the windowpane test is the process of stretching your kneaded dough to test its gluten development. In other words, you are checking to see how strong and stretchy the dough is.

If you can stretch the dough and see light pass through it–without tearing the dough–your dough has sufficient gluten development and does not require more kneading. This is called “achieving the windowpane.”

On the contrary, if your dough tears when stretching it, knead your dough for another minute or so. Then, try the windowpane test again.

Watch how to do the windowpane test

When should you use the windowpane test?

If you are a new baker

While you are learning what dough should look and feel like, the windowpane test is extremely useful. As you develop your skills, you will likely know when your dough is ready by look and feel.

However, developing that sort of insight and understanding requires time and practice. As such, while you are learning, rely on the windowpane test–the ability to see light through the dough–for useful feedback about your dough.

If you are using a new recipe

I’ve made some bread recipes so many times that I don’t even need to think about the ingredients or dough. I just know what is in it and what it should feel like.

However, when I am using a new recipe, I don’t have the same sense for the dough. As such, I always do the windowpane test for new recipes. I recommend this practice for all bakers–new and seasoned–when trying out new recipes.

If you have switched up the ingredients

Recently, when making sourdough donuts, I switched up the recipe and used half all-purpose and half bread flour. Some flours, like bread flour, require less kneading time. So my dough achieved the windowpane much faster than I am used to.

That said, when using a new ingredient or substituting ingredients, try the windowpane test every few minutes to make sure your dough has been sufficiently kneaded—and to ensure you aren’t over-kneading it like I did.

If you are making enriched dough

Enriched doughs have added ingredients such as eggs, butter, sugar, or milk. For example, these would be breads like brioche or double chocolate sourdough babka.

Because the added ingredients weaken the dough, enriched breads require extra kneading either by hand or in a stand mixer.

With that in mind, the windowpane test is critical for enriched doughs. If it doesn’t achieve the windowpane, the bread’s texture will be dense, and it will lack flavor.

What do you do if your dough doesn’t pass the windowpane test?

If your dough tears when you pull or stretch it, that means it has not built up enough gluten development.

To remedy this, just keep on kneading. After a minute or so, try the windowpane test again. Keep repeating this process until your dough achieves the windowpane.

It is important to remember that the windowpane test isn’t necessarily pass or fail. Not every recipe, like no-knead sourdough bread, for example, needs to achieve the windowpane.

But if you are using a recipe that suggests the windowpane test like sourdough cinnamon rolls or sourdough sandwich bread, you will want to make sure it does have sufficient gluten development.

When should you try testing your dough?

A good time to try the windowpane test is once your dough has fully come together and no longer feels sticky.

However, as you are learning, it can be helpful to try the windowpane test at various stages of kneading.

For instance, try it out when you first mix the dough together, while it is still shaggy and sticky. Then, test again after the dough’s texture begins to change. Continue trying every few minutes as you knead.

In doing so, you can learn how the dough changes and feels as the gluten develops.

Does sourdough bread need the windowpane test?

In general, no, sourdough bread does not need the windowpane test. When making sourdough bread, the gluten develops through time and stretch and folds.

As such, sourdough won’t achieve the windowpane before it goes in the refrigerator for 12-15 hours of cold proofing. This is because the gluten still continues to develop as it cold proofs in the refrigerator.

One caveat to this is if your sourdough sat in the fridge for too long. If you popped your sourdough in the fridge and forgot about it for a few days, it is worth trying the windowpane test.

If the dough achieves the windowpane, bake away. On the other hand, if it is really soupy, it is likely over-proofed.

You won’t be able to make a sourdough boule with over-proofed dough. But you can still make delicious flatbreads with it.

What You Will Need

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• Prepared and kneaded dough
• Stand mixer (optional)

How To Do the Windowpane Test for Dough

Follow your recipe instructions to make the dough. Knead either by hand or in a stand mixer.

Once your dough has come together and no longer feels sticky, pull off a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball.

Flatten it between your palms as if you are making a tiny (and adorable) pizza or flatbread.

Hold the dough and gently stretch it in opposite directions to stretch the middle of the dough. You are checking to see if the dough can be stretch thin enough, without tearing, to see light pass through.

If light can pass through without the dough tearing, you are finished kneading. Move to the next step in your recipe.

If the dough tears, continue kneading for a minute or two. Then, try the windowpane test again. Continue this until your dough can stretch thin enough for light to pass through (aka “achieves the windowpane”).

Ultimately, you are looking for a thin membrane in the center like this:

Often, I do the windowpane test without tearing off a small piece. But this is usually because I am 99.9% confident that the dough is ready. And I am also just checking the general elasticity of the dough.

You can try this, but I recommend using a small piece of dough until you are more familiar with dough and gluten development.

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