Recipes lie. Your kitchen humidity, flour brand, and even your mood affect the dough. So ignore the timer if your dough feels ready. Your hands know more than your phone does.
Smell the dough. Does it smell yeasty and alive? Good. Does it smell sour or like dirty socks? Maybe start over. (Yes, I’ve ruined a batch. We don’t talk about the sock bread.)
In the end, kneading is a conversation with your ingredients. You push, they push back. You both get stronger. And after 10 minutes—or a little more—you’ll feel it. The dough stops being sticky. It becomes a smooth, proud little sphere.
Then you let it rise. And that’s a whole different kind of waiting. But for now? Knead on, friend. The bread is worth it.