I'm working on a bread dough that may or may not develop the elasticity it needs. The recipe descriptions says to knead the dough until it is "elastic, tacky and smooth". I'm getting an upper body workout with it, and the tackiness is minimal. I used the minimum amount of flour prescribed in the recipe. Now I'm wondering, as I let the dough rest to develop the gluten, whether I need to incorporate a bit more liquid. What's the best way to do that when the ball is already pulled together? Flatten it out and knead in water, a bit at a time?
Edit: I've been spreading the dough out, poking dimples into it with my fingers as I would a foccacia, then dampening my hands and working the water into the dough. It seems to be working. For future reference, would there have been a better method?
