Why Do Chefs Knead Dough with Cold Hands? (This Was News to Us Too)

In the world of baking, where precision and skill play a central role, cold hands are considered a secret tool that helps create especially crisp, delicate, and delicious pastries. Sounds simple? Perhaps, but behind this approach lies real science.

The Relationship Between Temperature and Crispiness

In pastries like flaky dough (pies, tarts, burekas, etc.), the goal is to keep fats, like butter or other shortenings, as cool as possible during the preparation process. These fats are what create the thin layers that make the dough crispy after baking. When hands are warm, the butter may melt and integrate unevenly into the dough, damaging its texture.

Why Are Cold Hands an Advantage?

Experienced chefs know that cold hands help maintain the dough's temperature. This way, the final texture remains light and crispy. Keeping cool is especially critical during kneading, where the body's natural heat can cause the butter or shortening to soften excessively.

How to Keep Hands Cold

Chefs use a variety of tricks to keep the temperature down:

1. Washing hands in cold water before starting.
2. Using ice cubes to lower temperature before touching the dough.
3. Using cold tools: storing bowls, rolling pins, and even flour in the refrigerator.
4. Working quickly: brief and quick contact with the dough to prevent heat transfer.

Work Methods Incorporating the Cold Principle

Chefs recommend working in as cold an environment as possible. Sometimes, they even chill the dough in the fridge or freezer after certain stages of work to ensure every component remains stable and cold. Working with cold hands is not just convenience; it's a way to ensure a better outcome.

The Method's Impact on the Finished Pastry

In pastries like croissants, pies, and tart bases, maintaining coolness ensures flawless layers, supreme crispiness, and a dreamy flavor. Working with cold hands creates dough that is crispy on the outside but soft inside—just what you expect from a perfect pastry.

So next time you're making pastries, try cooling your hands—maybe you'll find it's the little upgrade you were looking for for your perfect baking.