Post #2340077

@SecondUniverse@autistics.life I believe there are two things at play here. Kneading does a couple of things. It helps gluten strands form and also aligns them for structure, which helps the bread rise when baked. This is important for breads that go from initial mix to final bake in a few hours. Wetted wheat flour, however, will form gluten strands on its own if given enough time, hence, your overnight rest. The shaping in your recipe is adding the alignment and structure.